


Shining Ambitions veiled in Dust

by HisGlasses



Series: The World of "Shining Ambitions veiled in Dust" [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Ulwaat berries are the true mvp, around 1900-ish, artsy Noctis, because I can't write other stuff, probably, this should be renamed "Ignis the patissier", uncle Ardyn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2018-12-29 22:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 123,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12094563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HisGlasses/pseuds/HisGlasses
Summary: Ignis is running a bar in the big City of Insomnia. He occasionally has Chief Officer Amicitia coming over for drinks and talks in the night hours and streetkid Prompto visiting in the early mornings to fetch whatever food is left of the day. It is a peaceful daily routine.One day a high class customer pays him a visit. He doesn't yet grasp what changes this will bring to his life._________________________________________________The actual main work of the series. The plot is here. Hopefully.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm really doing this. I am completely inexperienced in writing, so please be kind ;3;  
> The plot is still laid out only loosely, so the pace of this story might be rather slow. But I'm doing my best and I hope you will be enjoying reading about the world of my mind that I am trying to put into words.
> 
> This story is not beta-ed, all mistakes to be found are the ones I proudly made myself.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a mysterious boy appears.

With a slight creak of the bed he rolled himself on his back, one arm across his face. The slightly stinging notion behind his eyes told him, that it was yet too early for him to wake up. But as he was not the type to go back to sleep once he woke, there was no other choice than starting the day.

_A tiring day it is then._

With a short and resigned sigh Ignis detangled himself from his covers and flung his legs out of the bed. Sitting on the edge of his mattress, he placed his elbows on his knees, shortly propping up his face into his hands. Through his slender fingers, he could see daylight coming in from the door he had left ajar, as he always did before going to sleep. The weak yellow hue of the rays that were seeping into the pitch black room – the only one with no windows in this apartment – lit up the borders of the scarce furnishing with a rim of gold and reflected in a pair of round glasses on the bed stand.  
Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose. From the angle the light was creeping up into his room, he must have been able to at least get three decent hours of sleep. A strong coffee for breakfast and he should be good to go. His hand reached out for his sunlit frames and after wiping them quickly with the border of his pyjamas he settled them accurately on his face. Then in a swift motion and under a small protest of the wooden floor planks, Ignis swung himself up and stretched his back, before opening the bedroom door to its full extent. The windows from the corridor and the room across let in enough light to illuminate the room, just so he wasn’t forced to light his gas lamp more than needed. We mustn’t deplete resources, as he used to say. It should suffice if he put it on at night. A few steps back to his bed stand Ignis fetched his pocket watch that had be cautiously ticking, as if it had been trying to not wake him. The hands said 8:55.

_How troublesome. The market is bound to be very crowded in the morning hours. Might as well check thoroughly what supplies are to be restocked beforehand. Ah. Maybe I can manage to have a look at the morning newspaper for a change. But first things first._

Ignis headed to the bathroom to shave the stubble that persistently showed up on his chin every morning. He found it to be a true nuisance. Afterwards he headed back to his room to check on his wardrobe.  
The rooms he was living in were nothing special, actually rather a cramped place but it was a place he could proudly call his own. The first floor was composed of the window-less bedroom (which precisely was the reason why he decided it to be) and another small room right across the corridor, This one might come in handy as rentable guest room sometime, if Ignis ever felt like offering it to strangers. Left to his bedroom was a living room, still small yet a bit broader, with a desk in front of the window, bookshelves lining up the walls and a little back sofa to sink into, in company of a good book. Next to the guestroom-to-be, there was a small bathroom, all held in clear blue. Between the bathroom and the living room, the far end of the corridor was used as storage. Several boxes, bags and tins of comestibles were neatly grouped and piled up on slim shelves along the walls, ending the corridor with another window. Even though it was cramped and slightly packed, Ignis felt comfortable in there.  
But the even bigger part of his existence could be found on the ground floor. When following down the stairs, there was another storage space – much bigger and more packed than the one in his private rooms yet not less organised and once you passed its door you stood behind the counter of a little bar. The cooking supplies, hearth and oven were located right behind the counter, standing out in metallic colours against the ebony colour of the furnishings. The walls were of a creamy colour and the windows were framed by short, lavender coloured curtains. With four tables and another four seats at the counter, the Libra Elementia was equipped to accommodate about 15 guests. That said Ignis had not experienced a full house once in the four years he had been running it. But he was doing just fine, making a modest yet decent living.

Ending up clad in a simple shirt, vest and dark brownish trousers, Ignis brushed his hair in place – the fringe just above the glasses, slightly tucked to the side – and went down the stairs.

While the small coffee maker behind the counter was busy with brewing a cup (or maybe two), Ignis inspected the shelves in the backroom of the bar. Last night, quite a handful of customers had come over, some even staying until closing time and their orders had been slowly devouring a rather big part of his supplies.  
_Oh my. Chief Amicitia was a little merciless on my stock of beer last night. I thought it might have still held a little longer._

With the hint of a frown he added beer to his shopping list. Good thing that he could order it by barrel on the market and have it brought to him in the late afternoon. He alone would probably not be capable of even lifting one, let alone transport it through the cobblestone paved streets. Examining the shelves with searching eyes, Ignis noticed a gap on his shelf where he stored ingredients for his desserts.  
_Didn’t notice I had been running out of jam. How careless. But didn’t I… Ah._  
He opened the wardrobe he had had modified to keep alimentation cool and fresh and found three bowls of still fresh looking berries inside. They were from yesterday’s grocery tour, though somehow Ignis had missed to prepare the jam. _How careless indeed._ He placed them next to the stove, where the delicious smell of strong coffee had started coming up from the little tin pot.

He set the pot aside and took one of the small cups from the shelf behind him, giving it an inspecting look. There was a thin gray and dusty layer on the outside, so he grabbed a cloth and polished it meticulously, before pouring the brown liquid in. The first sip sent Ignis’ nose into wrinkles. That really was a strong one. He considered for a moment to slightly dilute it with some milk but quickly dismissed the thought. He’d have to cope with it then.  
Ignis set another pot onto the stove and lit the fire under it. Then he quickly prepared the berries to cook for some hour. After they had been starting to lose their firm form and consistence, Ignis gave them two more stirs and lowered the flame to a minimum. This way the jam wouldn’t burn and he didn’t have to watch over it either.

Another sip of coffee and he quickly opened the front door to fetch the newspaper. Ignis quickly ran his eyes over it, spotting an article about the Nox Fleurets, a prestigious and highly skilled family of doctors. They would temporarily come to Insomnia it read. Everything seemed to gather here lately. Maybe this would help the city’s lower levels rise up a bit higher at least.  
Carefully sipping on his second cup of coffee – he had messed up the dosage, no doubt; no careless estimation of the powder quantity next time, let’s stay close to the recipes – Ignis had a look at his pocket watch. 10:05 it said. Still a little early, yet he might have a break before actually opening at 12 then. He set the cup aside and gave the jam a final stir, before he grabbed the thin coat off the coat rack and headed out to the market – of course carefully checking on the safety of the faintly simmering pot once more before he closed the door.

 

Even if he only arrived an hour early at the market, the place was packed with people. Ignis didn’t mind many people being around but the uncoordinated movements of the masses at the market place always left him irritated. He spotted Chief Amicitia leaning onto a wall and watching over the scrambling folk. A sardonic grin tugged at the corner of Ignis’ lips, as he could unmistakably spot traces of dark circles and a shadow of exhaustion on the officer’s face. Served him right, after spending his night drinking, even though it was not nearly weekend yet. Ignis passed the officer and greeted him with a short and slightly amused „morning”. The man looked up from under the bill of his cap and greeted back with a lamentable raise of his hand.

„’sup? Kinda early today, aren’t you?” 

„Well inspected. I have not been blessed with a lot of sleep tonight. Maybe it’s because I had customers until closing hour, which I usually don’t.” 

Chief Amicitia rolled his eyes and grunted guiltily, waving his hand in front of his face. „Yeah, right. Sorry ‘bout that. I needed someone to talk.” Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with middle finger. „Oh but no need to apologise. It is the business hours after all. Yet you might want to not exaggerate your drinking habits on weeknights, if I may be so blunt.” The bulky man gave off a short laugh and nodded apologetically.

„Man, you sound like my little sister.”

„Good to hear that at least one of your relatives is not out of her senses”, Ignis smugly returned. „Well, I’ve got to be on my way. I guess I’ll see you around?” Chief Amicitia tipped his fingers against his cap in a greeting manner. „Wouldn’t want to miss on that one, would I? I’ll go easy on the drinks this time.”  
With an appreciating nod Ignis continued his morning market tour.

 

He left the crowded place with a big paper bag stuffed with groceries. Beans and carrots had been on offer and he could not help himself to buy the little tin of a slightly expensive blend of coffee that had been on display. He would cherish that one. The inside of the bag was clanking slightly with every step and indeed was a little heavier than he had planned. Good thing his destination was not too far away, even by foot.

When Ignis turned into the street where his bar was located, he frowned over the border of the bag in his arms. There was somebody standing in front of his door. A young man, probably a bit younger than himself all clad in rather noble back garment was trying to peek through the little window on the door.  
_What could possibly have caught his attention?_  
Ignis was warily approaching the stranger, who was looking at his pocket watch.

„Excuse me?“  
Lost in thoughts as it seemed, the sudden voice behind his back startled the black haired boy and he swirled around on his heels. He was even looking a bit flustered Ignis noticed and had to fight back the smirk that was about to climb up his cheek. Not quite the conduct you would expect of the son from a visibly good home. „Is something the matter? Can I help you?“  
The boy’s deep blue eyes seemed to be searching for words, when he managed a poor „Er... sorry. No, I’m good. I just walked by and... thought that something smelled really good? So I came to see what it is but the bar here is closed and... yeah, that’s it? I guess I’ll just come back another time then.“

 _Ah. So he really_ is _a customer. Not one of those rich fellows wanting to take over the shop. Well, it indeed is a little early, but the whole day has been. So why not let him in?_

Ignis held back a chuckle. This was really not what he had expected from the way the boy had looked from afar.  
„My apologies. This place is rather not frequented in the daytime, so I frankly did not expect any visitors so soon.“  
„Oh, so you—you’re the owner?“ The black haired boy seemed to try to engage in small talk. He seemed to be really bad at it.  
„Indeed“, Ignis replied, shoving one hand into his pocket and summoning a set of keys to his hand with a tinkling sound. „I must say I am surprised to see a nobleman at my door. This occasion calls for an exception I suppose. If I may?“

He gently shoved the black haired boy aside to unlock the door. As he had put the paper bag on the counter he turned back to the door, slowly swinging one arm into an inviting gesture. The young man looked to his right and left, bringing up one hand behind his neck again.  
„But er—you’re not open yet are you? And I really don’t want to trouble you. I’ll come back... later then. Yeah.“  
The grin managed to curl Ignis’ lips after all. „Oh, but you are here now aren’t you? As I just said, I might want to make an exception today. Please, young master it is a pleasure to welcome you in my humble accommodations.“ 

After a short time of hesitation, the black robed boy shuffled into the room. „Take a seat wherever you like. I will be available in just a moment“, Ignis said before quickly vanishing into the back room. First he took off his coat and hung it over the hand rail of the stairs to the upper floor. Then he put down his groceries – he could line them up later, when he had served his customer – and took only those out that had to go into the cooling cabinet. Once he was done he went back behind his counter, quickly stirring the finished jam once more before putting out the fire. 

„So, what is the source of this smell?“, the rich boy asked him, while Ignis was putting on his apron. He replied without even glancing over, focusing on wiping some of the dust off that had clung to his corrective lenses. „Ah. I set up some Ulwaat berries on the stove before leaving for the market this morning. I fully depleted my stock of jam last night, so I was preparing some replenishment. It is a crucial ingredient to my menu after all.”  
After a short moment of silence, the boy spoke up again.  
„You are from Tenebrae, am I right?“  
Ignis hadn’t expected such a direct question, especially not concerning his person. „Oh. Well, yes I am“, he answered in surprise. A frown shortly ghosted over his face. Was that a problem? „Good place“, the boy in black answered with a faint smile on his lips and Ignis’ frown deepened for a second before his eyebrows lifted in astonishment. Well, at least he was not going to be looked down upon for it, as it seemed. Insomnian people used to be rather proud (let us not say overconfident) of their birthplace. Even though it was nothing more than a place after all.

Ignis swiftly picked up one of the menus from the counter and headed over to where his customer had claimed his place. „If it is the tenebraean taste you are after, I could recommend the pastry set. It actually uses the jam that I have been preparing in the morning.“ As he wanted to hand over the menu, the stranger stopped him in motion by gently pressing back the menu with his pale hand. With a crooked smile he said: „Yeah. Sounds good to me. It’s what has caught my nose’s attention after all. I bet it’s good.“

„I reckon the nose knows.“

The pun had slipped pass Ignis’ lips swiftly and effortlessly. He did not even have the time to consider if it was appropriate to joke with high society, but the amused snorting of his customer dispelled his worries.  
He bowed shortly before dismissing himself behind the counter to whip up the pastry. Good thing he had remembered making the jam.

While he was preparing the dessert, Ignis secretly glanced over to have a closer look at his rather rare customer species. He was dressed mostly in black – a fine twill shirt, neatly buttoned yet with rather messily rolled up sleeves; a black vest made of brocade, its reflections giving away the fine embroidered pattern, matching with his bluish-violet tie, which hung a little too loose to sit adequately; fine trousers and black leather shoes. Somehow the clothes he wore contrasted the messy way his hair stood on end, yet the messy parts of his outfit seemed blending it into a unique style.  
_A mysterious boy_ Ignis thought as he put the pastries into the oven. His appearance reminded him of a raven.

As the smell of golden brown crust and berries had started filling the room, Ignis put down the cup he was polishing and took the pastries out of the oven. After arranging them with a slice of fresh orange and a bit of powdered sugar, he headed over to the table where his customer already had turned his head into his direction.  
„Sorry to keep you waiting“, Ignis said, as he carefully placed the plate and the cutlery in front of him.  
„Wow. Can’t wait to try it“, the raven boy answered, his face lit up in excitement.  
„Well then, enjoy your meal. I’ll be right behind the counter, in case you need anything.“

It had been quite some time that last somebody was that enthusiastic about his cooking or baking skills. Mesmerized by what he saw Ignis stared at his customer. He didn’t use to stare. He never did. It was rude to stare. But the boy was so immersed in his food, he couldn’t help it.  
The boy was taking one bite at a time, carefully examining the texture, colours and scent of the dessert. Every time he had swallowed a bit he mumbled words that sounded something close to „amazing“ or „really good“, digging his fork into the remains of the pastry with sparkling eyes and a satisfied look on his face.  
Ignis pulled his gaze away from him, concentrating on getting – or rather keeping – the cups and glasses on the shelf clean. The thick coal smoke of the city and its outskirts always left behind a thin black veil on them. He couldn’t stand it. That was the only part of city life that was constantly nagging on his mind. He didn’t want to fall victim to the sickness.

„Hey, these ones were pretty good.“

Startled by the sudden closeness of the husky unfamiliar voice, Ignis’ head snapped up. The black haired boy had come to the counter, lowering his emptied dish on it with a soft clink. „Ah. But you didn’t have to – “ The stranger held up a hand and cut him off mid-sentence. “Nah, it’s cool. I’m already being hovered around enough, so this is a welcome change.“  
„Well, thank you kindly“, Ignis replied, his eyes widened in surprise.

„But honestly: they were good. Do you sell this as takeaway?“  
Ignis tilted his head slightly. „There has been no request of such a kind until now, so I didn’t give it much thought to be honest.“  
The raven boy’s eyes widened in disbelief. „No way! You’ve got to be kidding!“  
„No, actually I’m not“, Ignis replied, taking the plate from the counter and placing it into the sink. “You must know, this is nothing more but a small and insignificant bar, which is an even poorer shadow of a café in the daytime. The people stopping by are not that numerous, let alone high society of your kind.“  
The boy grimaced at the words _high society_ but his expression swiftly changed into something bewildered. „Huh. Well, I hope at least it’s not my last time to come over. I er – usually don’t have business in this part of the town, but I’ll see that I can make it.“

Now this was something. Ignis wouldn’t have expected the young man to be this attracted to his rather poor establishment, when he could surely afford top-notch. Not that he was complaining. It still felt a little off though. Maybe there was something behind it, he thought.  
„Well, my bills are paid, and I am in control of my life, so I can pretty much assure you that I’ll not be going anywhere in the near future. It would be a pleasure to welcome you any time again, young master.“  
The boy tsked at this title in disgust.  
„Er… can you, just—like… not call me that?“, he asked uncomfortably.

„Pardon?“

„This… ‘young master’ and stuff. I—I actually don’t really… like it?“

Ignis frowned a little, confused of the stranger in front of him. He really didn’t know what to make of him. “I, ah… Of course. I do not mean to be rude, but what would you have me call you then, if I may ask? Do you have any appellation you would prefer? Sir?”  
The boy shook his head, his black hair rustling with the movement.  
„The name’s Noctis“, he replied with a hint of a smile.

Ignis opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, firmly pressing his lips together and frowning in consideration.

„What is it? Is… something not right?“ The boy’s – Noctis’ voice wavered slightly.  
Ignis slowly shook his head and looked him upright into the eyes.  
„Is this even an appropriate thing to do? I mean, we don’t even know each other and to be frank, nobody has ever asked me that before.“  
Noctis shrugged. „Well, it’s fine by me? And, you asked me what you should call me, so, yeah? I guess name’s the best way.“

„It still feels somewhat strange…“

„Well I guess I’m just a strange person. And the part of not knowing each other is no big deal. I mean, I’ll just have to come over now and then so we will _get_ to know each other, right?“

Fascinating. This thought hadn’t ever crossed his mind ever before.  
Ignis ran one hand pensively over his chin.  
„Noctis.“  
It somehow was a weird sensation how his lips and tongue wrapped around the stranger’s name. He would have to get used to it. He felt like something was ringing in the back of his mind but he did not give it much thought.

Noctis pulled up the corners of his mouth. „Yeah. That’s better.“  
Suddenly his eyes darted to the clock on the wall. The boy in black let out a sigh.  
„Hey, I gotta leave now or else I’ll be late for my next appointment. But be sure to remember when I next come back okay? No ‘young master’ around here. Please?“ He put the money for his food onto the counter.

Ignis somehow felt dizzy. This flurry of things had his head spinning.  
„Uhm. I will try to keep that in mind.“  
Blue eyes fixed on his face, gluing his tongue to his palate. What was wrong with him?  
„Apologies. I will definitely manage to. Thank you for your patronage… Noctis.“ The last word still felt odd in his mouth.  
But the boy on the opposite side of the counter was grinning.  
„Yeah, that’s it. Well, see you around!“

And then he was gone.  
Still feeling a little dazed, Ignis took a step out of the door and looked at the black figure, disappearing into the stream of people. He took off his glassed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He suddenly felt wrung out and exhausted. Must have been due to the lack of sleep in the night, he told to himself. Yet he could not deny that this mysterious boy – Noctis – had somehow shaken him up a good deal. Bits and pieces of what just had happened flashed across his mind. Ignis shook his head as to get rid of them.

„What a peculiar day“, he breathed under a soft sigh, before heading back into the bar.

And it was only half over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading through the first chapter!! I'm really glad you took your time for this! 
> 
> It's all still fuzzy writing and a little messy and probably ill paced, but I'm doing my best!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis is aware of his friends.

The following hours were awfully normal. Ignis had turned around the little shield on the door from „sorry, we’re closed“ to an inviting „yes, we’re open“ and placed the little menu board a few steps from the entrance. Due to his unexpected customer, he in fact had been late in doing so for about 17 minutes. Not that it mattered anyways, people usually didn’t come over for lunch but there was a schedule to keep.

Ignis spent his time behind the bar, wiping and polishing the glasses and cups on the shelf, one after another, only to start anew once he was done. Things had to stay clean after all.  
While he was doing the dishes he let his mind hover about what happened just some short time ago. It really felt like a dream by now, induced by his lack of sleep. Yet the plate he was scrubbing right now was the evidence that it had happened.

Noctis.

He pensively mouthed the name he had been told, still shaking his head slightly in confusion.  
_You really don’t get asked to call a complete stranger by his first name every day. He could at least have told me what his family name was. Not quite the usual way of introduction. What a curious boy._

Ignis couldn’t shake off the notion that something was off. That maybe he should be knowing Noctis, even though he did not have the slightest idea why. They had never met before, this was for certain. It was not the „being familiar“ kind of knowing, rather something more... distant. The way you remember somebody from reading books.  
A sigh of frustration escaped his lips as he put down the towel he had been wiping the dish with and he turned around to put the clean porcelain disk into one of the cupboards. There really was no point in agonising over something that might not even be there in the first place.

Ignis grabbed a wet cloth and went over to clean the remains of the pastry crust on the table. Judging by the amout of crumbs there really had to be some severe issues with the comportment of the young master – Noctis, he reminded himself. Frankly spoken Ignis dared to think that even he himself might have had a better conduct as Noctis and wondered how he might manage his every day life. Probably a wealthy father stepping into the breach for him? 

_Curious indeed._

Ignis‘ mind was far too occupied with his customer so he decided to finally give his head a rest.  
A customer is a customer after all. He wouldn’t let himself be robbed of his professionality just because some stranger – who by the way also had left a generous tip – wanted to be called by his first name. So be it then. Ignis Scientia, your reliable barman at your service. If he should really make it up the ladder some day, he could not let his posture be wavered by a tiny thing like that.

He put down the cloth and sat down in front of the table. His hand went to to cautiously grab his glasses and set them down for a second. Ignis closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose again. The stinging ache behind his eyes had grown slightly stronger than it had been in the morning. He ran his hand over his face and turned to look at the wall clock.

12:35.

Ignis took a deep breath. Two and a half hours and he could close down the bar for a little break before the even longer night. He even considered sleeping for about an hour even though he hated sleeping in the daytime. It was simply a shame to waste the short time he had for himself. Yet the early waking had cast a nasty curse on him, currently taking form in this stinging notion.  
Maybe it was time for some vacation in the closer future. Two to three days should suffice. He would think about it.

 

The hours ticked by mercilessly slow that day. One old lady had come over to have some of the mushroom stew for lunch (he could recommend it; it was the season they tasted best), but else it was a quiet noon. Even quieter than usual. At least that was what it felt like.  
As the clock of the nearby chapel striked three, Ignis stepped out on the street to gather his menu board and to flip over the little plate on the entrance again. Then he locked the door behind him and cut the gas for the stove.  
He was really glad that he had invested in this technology, right from the start. Even though he had flung himself into debts and the days had not been easy for months it had been a necessary and rather pleasant investment. To think that he otherwise would have had to run everything by burning charcoal or wood was a true threat to him. As if the pollution wasn’t already bad enough on the streets. He would definitely not want to suffocate in his own walls.

Ignis had just been on his way to the staircase for the upper floor, as he heard a knocking noise on the window. He paused in mid-motion, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath over a frustrated frown. What could it be, now that he just had some spare hours to relax and get some energy back into him?  
He turned on his heel and went back to the entrance. Through the window in the door he could see a blond haired, scrawny boy, swinging forwards and backwards on his feet with a carefree smile on his freckled face, hands behind his back.

_Prompto?_

Ignis opened up the door and looked at him with a wondering frown on his face.  
„Well, hello Prompto. Isn’t it quite early for you to come over? I thought we have agreed on handing over the leftovers in the early morning hours. Besides I _do_ have a midday break, just in case you weren’t aware of it.“  
Prompto had stopped rocking back and forth and his face had taken on an apologetic smile. „Sorry Iggy. It won’t be for long?“  
Ignis let out a short huff before he let him in, quickly closing the door behind him.

Prompto sat down on one of the counter seats, turning himself towards Ignis. He slammed his hands together in front of his face. „I’m reeaally sorry for bothering you. I mean, I know you’re working hard, keeping that schedule of yours and stuff. And it’s great! You’re doing great!“

„You did not come over just to tell me how well my life is going, did you?“ Ignis tilted his head and arched one brow.

Prompto gave a wobbly laugh, while waving both hands in denial. „You got me there. Can’t fool you and your sharp eyes after all.“  
Normally Ignis would have returned some pointed response about how his glasses would improve this sharpness but he was just too tired to come up with anything.

„You know, I saw you on the market place. This morning I mean?“ Prompto bit his lip at the slightly miffed expression creeping up on Ignis‘ face.

„Well, this is no unusual sight I suppose? I usually am and I actually thought you might have noticed by now.“ He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

„No, no, that’s not it!“ Prompto vehemently shook his head. „I know you are. You’re always so in time, I could even bet on when you’ll be showing up! But this is exactly it, you know?“ He looked at the green pair of eyes that were directed to him. „You were pretty early today. And... actually your face didn’t look too good?“

Ignis pursed his lips. „I am sorry to inform you that I have not been capable of chosing the combination of my genes, Prompto.“

„Awww come on! Are you doing this on purpose?! You know that’s not what I meant!“  
Ignis loosened his posture and let one hand run through his hair in a sigh.  
„See?! You’ve been like that since this morning! Or, well, at least you have been for the time I could make you out. Dude, are you okay?“

So Prompto had come over only to see if he’s alright? That was such an unnecessary thing to do, yet it was kind of heartwarming.  
Ignis produced the hint of a smile. „Well, how kind of you. There is nothing to worry about though, thank you.“  
„Are you... really sure about that?“ Prompto eyed him with stubborn curiosity.  
„Absolutely. I just happened to wake up way earlier than usual this morning, is all. Plus the customers decided to keep me fully busy until closing time yesterday. At least as far as making conversation goes, which is by the way not less tiring than busying your hands and feet.“

Prompto breathed a sigh of relief. So he really had been genuinely worried about him. Over something as trivial as him just being tired. What a kind-hearted person.  
„We cannot have your provider of nutrition collapse after all, can we?“, Ignis teased him a little.

„Hey, come on! This is not fair! You know I can take care of myself well enough.“

„You mean, in the _thievish_ way?“

„A-and besides: it was _you_ who proposed to hand me over your leftovers, remeber? I—I never asked for this?“

„So you’d rather neglect good food and starve somewhere in prison then I suppose?“

Prompto pouted in defeat, slightly hurt by what Ignis had said. And he noticed.  
With a soft chuckle the lanky man approached him and ruffled through his blonde mess of hair.

„Now come on, I was not honestly trying to pick a fight with you Prompto. It was just an opportunity too well laid out to not tease you a bit.“  
Prompto struggled to get Ignis‘ hand away from his head. „Don’t pet meeee“ he grimaced just to burst out in laughter right afterwards. „No but really, good to know you’re fine. Be sure to take care enough of yourself, okay?“

„I don’t think you’re in the position to give me that advice“, Ignis returned amused.

„At least I‘m not the one who always lacks sleep“, Prompto argued and sticked out his tongue. He jumped up from the stool. „Well, gotta go! My public awaits me! Get some rest Iggy, and see you later!“

„And you will assure me you’re not becoming careless about finding an occupation, will you?“ Ignis threw at the blonde one who was darting out of the door.  
Prompto turned back once more. „Who, me? I’d never!“, he answered laughing and ran off.

 _What a helpless fellow_ Ignis thought, a smile on his face when he closed the door anew. Yet charming to know that there was at least somebody in this big city who actually cared about him. When was it that he had started this unique sort of friendship? Some short months ago? Ignis couldn’t remember but it definitely had taken a stable part in his life.

 _Things seem particularly directed towards me today as it seems. I wonder what I did to deserve this much attention._  
Not quite knowing if it was something to be happy about or rather something cumbersome, Ignis quietly went up the staircase, shaking his head with a smile.

 

As slowly as the daytime shift had dragged on, as fast the spare hours he had on his own flew by. Ignis had dozed off on his small sofa, as he was trying to read a book about the usage of plants and flowers in culinary arts – a book he had actually been eager to read for quite some time – and had been woken by the chapel’s bells, ringing out five o’clock. He sat up from the crouched position he had slept in with a groan and stretched his back. There was a slight pull on his neck, where he assumed the armrest must have been and he firmly pressed his palm onto the spot. The pulling should vanish in some more minutes.  
After marking the page he had fallen asleep on, he cautiously put the book back in place on the shelf, so it could wait for him to take it out later again. Then he decided on taking a brisk shower to bring his senses back to life. The evening shift would not involve as much standing around and polishing cups as the one around noon had. There would actually be people coming over for food and drink, some of them maybe for watching him cook. He had to perform effortlessly. Just enough to leave his guests in astonishment over whatever they would decide to be amazed of. As long as they kept coming back, Ignis admitted he did well.

At the time Ignis stepped outside to put the menu board back in place, the street lanterns were already being lit. The summer days, when the lanterns would light up in the later course of the night and not at around seven in the evening had been long gone and the chilly breeze spoke of approaching winter. He hoped for Prompto to have some pair of shoes and a jacket ready or else he might freeze to death in the daytime. But the kind Mrs. Elshett probably had a full stock of clothing in her orphanage he could borrow from.

The evening proceeded rather smoothly. No surprises, everything went on as estimated. Some meet-and-beet bouillons and mushroom stews later, a familiar bulky figure entered the bar, claiming a stool at the counter. Chief Amicitia hung his coat and cap on the coat rack next to him, before sitting down.  
„Man I’m beat“, he groaned as Ignis turned to him with a wry smile.  
„I imagine so. The aftermath of liquor should not be underestimated“, he replied cunningly. „So what is it you are after tonight?“  
The officer snorted while scanning the menu. „Yeah, keep hitting on me for that. I’ll have... chicken skewers and some soda.“  
Ignis mockingly raised an eyebrow. „Soda?“  
Chief Amicitia rolled his eyes theatrically. „Oh, come on Ignis, don’t rub more salt into the wound okay?“

„Oh, but by no means I would. I was just confirming if my ears haven’t been mistaken.“

„Yeah, right.“

„Soda it is then.“ With a triumphant expression Ignis opened a bottle of soda, filled half of its sparkling liquid into a glass and placed both in front of his guest. „The skewers will follow shortly.“

„Great, thanks.“

The big man untied his ponytail and ran his fingers through the long and thick brown hair. „So er, sorry again for staying so long yesterday“ he started, sipping on the fizzy drink. „Didn’t have that many quiet moments to really talk to anybody. So, yeah. Sorry for having bothered you.“  
Ignis, who was carefully lining up the chicken meat onto the skewers smiled knowingly.  
„As I already said this morning, there is no need for an apology of any kind. I might not be a psychiatrist, but I am a patient listener and voluntarily give advice. Especially taking into account that you are one of my longest regulars. I must admit I rather enjoyed our conversation.“ There was a sizzling noise coming from behind the counter and the smell of onions and meat emerged from the frying pan. „So, about your sister, is she doing alright?“  
The man had folded his hands on the counter before him.  
„I don’t get to see her pretty much lately, so all I can do is hoping that she is. She’s a big girl now. But I’m still worried about her. She’s working her ass off and still cannot make her own living of it.“

Ignis flipped over the skewers and nodded.  
„Well I can understand. I had a hard time myself starting to stand on my own two feet. Yet I have been lucky enough to succeed in achieving a stable life. Yet I think – well, I’m coming back to our talk yesterday – that you should talk to her about that. As it appears to me, she doesn’t want to trouble her brother more than necessary. This is why she is leaving notes for you in the morning, to reassure you. Don’t you think so, Chief?“  
With nimble hands, Ignis arranged the skewers on a dish, garnishing it with some coleslaw and a variety of pickles and placed it in front of his guest. „Enjoy your meal.“

The police officer pressed one hand against his temple shooting a thoughtful look at the barman. „Thanks... Hey, Ignis. I have a favour to ask.“  
Two brows shot up behind the golden rimmed spectacles, giving him a questioning look.  
„Which is...?“

„I’ve been talking a lot of private stuff with you lately and somehow... nah... How should I put this?“

Ignis gestured towards him with one hand. „Well, I suggest you just put it as it is?“ He reached for his cloth to scrub at another glass and he added: „I doubt it is something to ponder about as much anyway.“

The bulky man snorted. „Maybe you’re right. Listen, I’m not spending my time here while on duty, I come here in private. So would you do me the favour and just drop on my working title and give me that sort of privacy? I’m just an ordinary guy having some food and drink when I’m here. No need for formalities. Besides we know each other for quite a long time now.“

How odd. This was the second person on the same day that had asked him do drop the formal speech. Ignis eyes widened in enlightment.  
Privacy.  
Maybe this is what the raven boy had been after. Just looking for some moments of peace, where he could be himself and unbiased by his surroundings. Now that made sense.

„Uhm if you don’t want that you don’t have to, you know? I know you’re very correct about manners and stuff and I’m not forcing you, just...“

Ignis quickly scattered his thoughts and shook his head.

„I guess it might be appropriate after all. You got used to calling me by name quite some time ago, so I might try as well. Gladiolus, if I remember it right?“

The police officer gave him a crooked grin. „Yeah, that’s me. Finally this feels like I can truly talk to a friend, and not only to someone related by business. Thanks.“  
Ignis nodded in amusement while Chief Amicitia – Gladiolus – started digging into his plate.

Friends.  
He had not given this much thought yet. He often spent his time alone and did not have much time to spend on leisure, so he would not engage much in social life. Yet, reflecting on it, Prompto and the Chief – Gladiolus – were the figures that matched this relationship the closest. Maybe they really were his friends. He might actually take a liking in this thought.

Gladiolus already had finished half of his plate when he continued the talking.  
„You know, I can’t really talk about stuff like that at work. My co-worker would –“

„What would I?“

The two men turned their heads towards the entrance in synchronicity. On the threshold a slender, yet well built figure of a woman had appeared. She had shoulder long silver hair and full lips that were twisted into a challenging expression.  
„What are _you_ doing here?“, Gladio groaned resignedly. „I thought I might get at least little private time after work.“

The corner of Ignis‘ mouth turned up into a wry smile.  
„Now, now. Must I remind you not to speak this way to my customers, Gladiolus? You wouldn’t want to ruin my business, would you?“  
The big man rolled his eyes, while Ignis continued talking to the woman.  
„Well, it seems you are an acquaintance of Chief Amicita if I’m not mistaken? I could offer you the seat right next to him, if you’d like.“  
Aranea shot him a smug look. „Yes, I think I do. I might as well check on my boss‘ drinking behaviours so that he’s in better shape for work tomorrow.“

Graciously yet with a strong step the woman swung herself onto the stool to Gladio’s left. Then she held out her hand. „Aranea Highwind, vice and co-worker of this big bunch of mess.“ While Gladio made a grumbling noise, Ignis put down the glass and returned the greeting.  
„It is a pleasure Officer Highwind. Ignis Scientia. As you might have guessed I am the owner of this bar.“  
She grinned.  
„Huh, no shit.“  
Aranea inspected him from head to toe – or well, from head to hip to be precise, as anything below was masked by the counter. „Hey, Amicitia you never told me that you were seeing such a hottie on regular basis.“  
Ignis almost dropped the glass from his hand, struck by the words of the woman who was leaning in Gladio’s direction with a wide grin on her face.

 _Now this was unexpected. Judging by the looks I didn’t expect the lady to be that outright_ he thought amused, holding back a laugh at the sight of an uncomfortable Gladio.

„Ey, don’t make up stuff in your mind Highwind and get off my back, okay?“, Gladio answered. „Try the food, before you talk.“

Ignis tried to deescalate the situation. „Your compliment is kind of flattering, yet I am not used to thinking so highly of myself. I’d suggest you rather have a look at the menu instead of the host? It certainly is more satisfying to eat with your mouth than with your eyes.“

Aranea’s eyes flashed back to Ignis, then onto the menu she was offered.  
„Quite the talker, huh?“ she returned and started studying the menu.  
„Get the idea? And that’s why work always got me stressed out. That woman is a real pain in the ass“, Gladio lamented.  
Her eyes still fixed on the menu, Aranea shot back. „Well if you did your paperwork properly, I would not have to _kick_ your ass so much and you’d be off with less pain for sure.“

Ignis couldn’t hold back a snort, excusing himself right after it had escaped. He liked the wits that were showing in her words. There was something about her pointed answers that struck a chord. Gladio’s eyes silently called for help, so Ignis tried to keep her from picking too much on him.  
„Now then, have you decided on your order yet?“

 

The talk was quite entertaining that night. A lot of crosstalk, teasing and much laughter, it had been an enjoyable evening indeed. Gladio seemed a little tired, yet to Ignis it looked like he enjoyed it too. It felt carefree. And not even one drop of liquor had been involved.  
Around half past ten, Gladio could no longer keep up with the conversation. Not only was he tired of being picked on by his vice, but also tired in the literal sense. His eyes had grown smaller and his words had gradually switched for mere grunts. Ignis was well aware of that fact and kindly asked Aranea to get him back home safely. Gladio was arguing that he was completely fine on his own, yet his vice seemed to enjoy the thought of being in a superior position and watching over what was normally was her own boss.  
She shoved the bulky man to the door and turned around again before leaving. „See you again some time, handsome“, she waved him goodbye and Ignis returned a slightly mocking bow at her obstinate cheeky greeting.

It was three in the morning when he shut down the gas that night. One hour to go before Prompto would gome over to fetch what was left, so he might as well use the remaining time to get the place cleaned up and ready for the next day. This way Ignis would be able to get some sleep – just the amount of it he usually got and needed – right after the blonde would have left.

A peculiar day it had been, no doubt. Unexpected encounters, warm thoughts and the idea of friends – all of this had mixed together into a mysterious and expectant feeling. Something was about to change in Ignis‘ life. He had sort of a premonition.

For the moment being though it would just be him changing into his pyjamas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, if you read this... this means that... you finished reading chapter 2!!
> 
> Thanks a lot for sticking to the story~  
> And thank you so much you lovely beings who left kudos on the story!! That really makes me happy!
> 
> I'm currently planning the next chapters and hope to be able to tell the story that's developing in my head ^^  
> There are quite some of the key points fixed already, but I have to get there first |D
> 
> I hope you enjoyed your time reading and see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis takes a walk around town.

This day had been meant to be a dreadful one. Stuffed with appointments. Breakfast at eight paired up with a father-son business meeting at the same time, followed by an inspection of the gathered flowers and essences and long hours of smelling through various samples. After a short break it was lunch with the artisans and more of the shallow talk and socialising. Then one hour of violin, tea time and checking on potential layouts for labels for the new scent collection. And this meant, that he had to look presentable at half past seven and to behave socially adequate from eight o’clock right down to the late afternoon.  
Ah, how he hated this.

First of all you could not really count standing up early as one of Noctis‘ strong points. In fact he preferred sleeping in – not that anyone ever asked though. Second, socialising with people he did not really connect to was none of his strong points either. He was trying to avoid this as much as he could. Actually he would pretty much prefer a different life. Easier and with less rules to follow, manners to keep and appointments to chase after. Yet as only son, and therefore heir to a successful perfume house that was continuously growing he had no choice.

So Noctis had rolled out of bed at around seven (damn, seven!), only half awake, with one of the worst bedheads to be seen. That one had to be fixed. He could not be late for breakfast today. His father usually was gentle when it came to delay in the morning, but not on mornings with a meeting scheduled. „It’s only once every few weeks, so I can trust you to make it in time on those exceptional days, can I?“, he asked him on regular basis. What choices had he left? Better than having to get up that early _every_ day.  
As he had come down the stairs and into the dining room, his father had eyed him thoroughly. His sigh and a quick sign of his hand had summoned one of the attendants, fixing the misbuttoned shirt and the messy knot of his tie in an instant. After he had been corrected, he extended his arms to the sides, and gave his father a questioning look with a tilted head. Regis had huffed out a faint laugh and nodded affirmatively.

Nothing wrong about breakfast. The eggs and bacon had been good and the talk with his father far less troublesome than he would have thought. Regis had informed him that the Nox Fleuret siblings were to be awaited in the city in some months and that the Caelum family certainly had to participate in events that would probably be held then. Great, more events to endure. Maybe the food would be good though. If he got to eat things that was, and not be entangled in superficial jibberish.

When father and son had been discussing on the colour schemes and themes they would have to chose between for the next winter scents, a messenger had come to their room. Bowing in apology he had told them, that there had been some trouble with the artisans and that the delivery of the flowers had been delayed, which had ultimately led to the annulation of the meetings in the morning, including the lunch.  
As soon as he had heard that, Noctis had turned to his father, his blue eyes in eager but silent anticipation. Noctis knew that his father would not keep him busier than he already was. Regis had inclined his head with an affectionate expression, which had led to a schedule-free morning for Noctis. No rules to follow (except the usual ones: don’t get yourself into dangerous situations, be aware that you represent not only the family but also the business, mind your manners, blah blah and so on) and just free time to spend on whatever he felt like doing.

Noctis had decided to take a walk around the city, taking in colours, shapes and smells to maybe get him some good ideas and inspiration for later. After all he was in charge of the department of design (or, well, let’s say part of it) and had to come up with new and creative ideas all the time. Actually he did not hate that part of his work so much. Noctis had always had a hand for artsy stuff, and a sense for balance and design. Coming up with sketches of flacons, fonts, layout and motives for advertisements was kind of fun. Probably the only fun he could get in this job. But at least it was fun.  
Yet he enjoyed it even more when he had no boundaries. Drawing freely. Things he saw or just bringing stuff to paper that appeared in his head. This was his true luxury and freedom. Lately though his father had kept him busy with administrational stuff (he hated it, like – _really_ ) and he couldn’t get any spare time for this. But the itching feeling in his fingers was gradually growing, yearning for untouched pencil and blank and boundless paper.

The heart of Insomnia had been busy as ever in the morning. Business people in stylish clothes, workers in their more or less dirty workwear, wealthier and not so wealthy children going to school, their mumbling accompanied by the steady humming of vehicles, buzzing through the paved streets. Noctis had been around here countless times before and somehow the things he had seen never really changed. It felt a bit like a photograph come to life but only to repeat the same scene over and over again, like a puppet theatre. A life ever stable on predetermined rails. That’s what his father had wanted of him, to stay out of trouble, not to stray from the path.  
Yet, the heavens had blessed him with a free morning, right out of the blue and he had wanted to seize it. Somehow Noctis had been in the mood for a little adventure. He had rolled up the sleeves of his good black shirt and loosened his tie. Just for the feeling of doing something reckless of course.

With the time he had, Noctis had decided to change his surroundings and look around what was to be found behind the inner wall. He did not really know how it worked, but the wall was something like a gatekeeper, packed with technology for locking out a great amount of pollution. The factories in the outskirts were filling the air with their heavy black smoke and the spreading of cars had been only adding up to it. Engineers had apparently been working on extending that filter technology, as the smoke was said to give rise to various lung diseases if one was exposed to it for too long. Everybody knew about the invisible threat, the sickness that was mysteriously called „The Shadow“ by everyone.  
Noctis had passed the lower districts by car already, more than once. But he yet had not gotten the chance to wander around, and see what the people’s life was like. Business was usually either in the heart of the city, or completely out of it. But honestly – a walk around there would certainly not kill him. There were people _living_ there after all. So he had set out for the lower ring.

It had been far less spectacular than he had imagined. A little more of the smoke in the air, that might be but he figured that the truly unhealthy parts must lie in the outskirts.  
After having wandered around aimlessly, absorbing various colours, movements and clothing of people into his mind, his nose had caught onto a delicious smell – Ulwaat berries as he had found out later – that had led him to discover the beautiful little bar at the corner of a street. Luckily the lanky owner had been so kind to let him in, even though he had not yet opened for the day.

The pastry there had been delicious. The best he had eaten so far. Noctis thought it to be a miracle that the bar was not famous all over the town. But he figured, that people in the lower ring might not go out for having food as much as the society in the inner ring did. The rhythm of life was a different one. And the inner ring inhabitants would probably not leave it just out of curiosity. _Good for me_ , Noctis thought.  
Somehow the place had brought back memories of the peaceful days he used to spend on the tenebraean countryside with his father when he still was a child. It had the same relaxing and soothing feeling to it. He liked that place. It had not been crowded yet it had felt peaceful and strangely enough somehow domestic.  
Noctis had gotten carried away by his good mood and had even corrected the owner for talking to him like his attendants at home usually did. He wanted to make this place a comfortable and cosy one. Like, some sort of hideout, a shelter where he could escape the restraints of his everyday life and just be himself. The person he felt like being.

Now, as Noctis was walking down the street on his way back to the inner ring, he felt a little wave of embarrassment rushing over him, thinking about how cheeky he had been. He must have sounded just like every average swanky rich guy, totally full of himself. He would definitely apologize to the owner next time. He must have bothered him a great deal. Noctis had been worried for a moment, that the young man might have recognised him, when he told him his name but that didn’t seem to be the case after all.  
So: even better. He found a place where he was able to get rid of the „young master“ thing and all the prejudices and false coquetry attatched to it. A place where he could just be „Noctis“.

Noctis looked up to the sky, sun breaking through an almost translucent veil of grey with soft golden beams. The dreadful day had turned into a great one after all.  
He would arrange it somehow that he got some more time for himself, so that he could head over to the Libra Elementia. Maybe he could take his sketchbook with him next time. Yeah, that would make a great excuse to leave too. And he would not even be lying if he told his father that he needed some time for inspiration. After all that would be the same thing he was doing right now. Just better. With food and a place to sit.

A smile flashed over Noctis face, making him look like a child that had come up with his best prank. He would do anything to grasp that tiny bit of freedom.

 

„I’m back.“  
His father had gone for a meeting when Noctis returned home. Of course. His father’s schedule was busier than his own by far. Noctis let out a weighed down sigh. He heard footsteps approaching, light and fast. Seconds later one of the maids was standing in front of him. „Welcome home, young master. Miss Gentiana is already waiting for you in the music chamber.“

_Ah, right. I almost forgot the lesson._

„Yeah, thanks Maylin. I’ll just get the violin from my room and head over in a sec.“  
The maid bowed and hurried into the direction of the music chamber with light feet to inform his waiting teacher of his arrival.  
Noctis quickly headed to his room, where he tossed his coat onto the bed, quickly undid his tie and sent it flying right next to it. His eyes were scanning the room, when he finally found the violin case on top of one of his wardobes. This was not where he had left it.

_Ugh, damn. Someone was here cleaning my room again._

Noctis carefully lifted the black case off the wardrobe and darted over to the room where his teacher was waiting.

„Sorry Gentiana, I’m late“ he huffed after sprinting up several stairs. The woman sitting in the room gracefully rose from her chair. She was a beautiful woman, almost lookig like a real life painting. She had sleek black hair that usually fell down from her shoulders in long cascades, porcelain skin and full red lips that were frequently curled in a serene smile. She was always wearing long robes and dresses, making her look like a princess from the fairytales that were told to the younger children.

Gentiana took a short bow to greet Noctis. Today she was wearing her hair in a loose braid and a dress in dark greys and black hovering just over her ankles.   
Noctis was still a little out of breath from running up the staircase. „Hope I didn’t let you wait too long. My thoughts have been trailing off a bit“, he explained, panting weakly.  
She smiled. „It is alright. I am glad to see you in good mood young master. And... you had a sweet encounter in town as it seems?“  
Noctis shoulders stiffened and a questioning frown hung over his eyes. Encounter? What did she mean? He didn’t encounter anyone today. Well apart from the guy in the bar. And he would not really call him sweet. Handsome he was, yes, but he wouldn’t go as far as to call him sweet. Wait, what was he even thinking? And how could she possibly know? Was that even the point?!

Gentiana noticed the slightly irritated and flustered look on his face and let out a discreet chuckle, that almost sounded like crystal chimes. „Your mouth, young master. There are remains that speak of dessert.“

_Oh._

Slightly embarrassed Noctis ran a hand over his mouth to clean whatever crumbs or sugar had stayed there. Damn, this was awkward now.  
„Yeah“, he answered with a flustered smile. „I found the most awesome pastries in all Insomnia today. Couldn’t miss out on that.“  
„I am sure you couldn’t“, she answered gently. „Maybe you could bring one some day and share the joy.“  
„Uhm, yeah. Will do.“  
„Shall we start the lesson then?“

Gentiana shortly kneeled down to pick up the case she had laid down to the feet of her chair and stood up again, almost in a flowing motion. While she was taking out and tuning her violin, Noctis too opened his case. It was of made of smooth dark wood with golden buckles and the tissue of the cushion inside was covered with ivory velvet. Inside this case, one of the finest violins slept to be awakened by his owner any moment. It was a beautiful instrument made of ebony wood, covered in dark blue varnish, making it shine in the colours of the night sky. The body of the violin was decorated with fine strands of gold, swirling around and up the fretboard like wild flowers. Noctis was very fond of this violin. Even though he had almost abandoned playing as a teenager, he was glad that he somehow had sticked to it. A peaceful smile adorned his face as he took it out of the case and ran his fingers over it.  
„Yeah. I’m ready when you are.“

 

The lesson flew by quickly, as it always did. At least this was one of the appointments in Noctis‘ schedule that he was not annoyed of. It was more like playing music together for about an hour than real lessons anyways. It was not like he had to practise for playing at some private concert on one of those social events he hated to much, where every family had to display their skills and abilities before turning to meaningless talking again. Though he knew that those were bound to keep coming back every once in a while.  
But the immersion into music had lifted his spirits and cleared his mind. He was very greatful for that.

As Noctis saw Gentiana off at the door of the mansion, he saw his father coming back right at that moment. He looked awfully tired and small, slightly sustained by his walking cane. The limping used to grow worse with stress, so Noctis always took it as measure. He felt sorry for him.  
One of the attendants rushed past to help Regis carry his belongings when Noctis waved over at Maylin. She immediately approached the young master of the house, listening to his request.  
„Hey, can you maybe put up some refreshments for us? I guess dad needs a break before we get on with business stuff.“  
She nodded eagerly. „Of course. I will take care of it. How about a cup of tea? We had a variety of blends freshly delivered this morning. And would you like to have some cookies with it?“  
Noctis thought about it shortly and then nodded. He would have to put some energy into his father again. He hated to see the familiar strong figure all worn out. „Yeah for the cookies but no tea for me. Dad will probably want one though. Can you bring me a cup of hot chocolate instead?“  
„But of course. I will prepare it to serve in the salon.“ The maid bowed and hurried off.

Once inside the salon, Regis let himself sink into his cushioned chair with a sigh. Noctis pursed his lips and approached him, laying a hand on his shoulder.  
„Dad, are you alright?“  
Seeing his father sit in front of him, he noticed again how small he looked. He wasn’t comfortable with that. His father had always been a strong and impressive person to him and he did not want this to change. Regis looked up to his son, a tired smile on his face.  
„I’m alright Noctis, don’t worry.“ He adjusted his position in the chair. „There were just so many discussions to take on, I guess I am just a bit worn out. I’ll be fine in no time again.“  
Noctis huffed out a laugh. „If you say so old man“, he said fondly.  
Regis raised one eyebrow. „Now, where is the respect towards the elderly I desperately have been trying to teach you all that time?“ That moment Maylin entered the room with a tray in her hands. She placed the cookies, the tea for Regis and the hot chocolate neatly on the table before she left the room with a quick bow again.

Now it was Noctis‘ turn to raise an eyebrow and looking triumphantly at his father he gestured towards the tea time setup. „Don’t try to tell me I’m not considerate“ he grinned as he pulled back to sit down in his own chair.  
Regis could not hold back his laughter. „Look at you. I had almost forgotten that you can be charming sometimes“, he teased.

„Well, always there to gladly remind you“, Noctis countered with a cheeky smile and wrapped both of his hands around the cup of chocolate.

„But I am sorry to see your dresscode has suffered over the day.“

„Oh come on. There have been no official meetings after all. Besides nobody’s perfect anyways.“

Tea time was carefree. There were no stiff and obligational talks about what appointments were scheduled when. It was just father and son, talking about the change of seasons, bringing back memories of their past and laughing together about them. And the chocolate was good. Like, really good.  
After both of them (especially Regis though) had replenished their energy supplies, Regis rose from the chair and looked at his son. „Well then, ready for today’s final round?“  
Noctis wiped some cookie crumbs off his face. „Yeah. Let’s get done with it.“

They had laid out various samples of lables and scents on Regis‘ office table and were discussing which font, which form of the label and which colours would fit best. The people were expecting much of them, so they had to live up to those expectations. And Noctis was skilled in this, Regis knew that.  
Noctis reached out for one of the scent samples, reading _Dulcor Lucis_. It was one of those they would bring on the market in a few weeks, a light scent for women. Noctis thoughtfully took a smell and slowly closed his eyes. He pursed his lips.  
„What is it Noctis? If you have something on your mind, then just speak up. You know that we can still manage to alter the ingredients for the production“, his father said encouragingly.  
Noctis nodded, his eyes still closed. Something was missing. He didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed already when they had been discussing on the scents, but he had noticed now. How could he have missed this? Noctis mind wandered through impressions, pictures, smells, different things he had seen today...

His eyes fluttered open.  
„This is not sweet enough. Something is missing“, he told his father, still looking at the small vial. He turned it inbetween his fingers, examining the rosy liquid, taking in its scent repeatedly. After another moment he turned to look at his father, eyes full of determination.  
„Berries. This would be a great fragrance if we could manage to fit in berries somewhere.“  
Regis frowned curiously. „Berries you say? Now that is an interesting idea.“ He skimmed through some of the books in which he had catalogued their supplies. „Yes, I think there should be at least enough for the first edition.“  
Noctis nodded with a satisfied look on his face. Good thing he had still noticed it. So the little downtown stray really had had its effect in terms of inspiration.

_Ah, right._

Noctis corked the vial again and put it down. „So uhm... I actually wanted to ask you something. I... still didn’t get the chance yet.“  
Regis was writing down something into a leather wrapped notebook, nodding in approvement. „Go on, Noctis.“

„So, I really enjoyed the morning today. Like... walking around and... seeing things? And, uhm... Well, actually the idea with the berries came from a pastry I had in town today, you know?“

„Now isn’t this nice. And, your question being?“

„Uhm. Is it okay if I plan in some of that kind of time on my own? Like, in the usual schedule? Somehow I feel like I can think clearer and... have more ideas and stuff.“

Regis closed the notebook and with one hand on the big desk he looked at him reproachfully.  
Noctis raised his hands on shoulder level in defense.

„Now don’t start on how your schedule is busier than mine by far, I know, okay? It’s not like I‘m escaping work or stuff. Really. It was just... nice? And some kind of... productive?“

His father let out a helpless sigh and gave him a smile.

„Well, as long as you still attend the important meetings and your work results stay of good quality, there should be no reason for me to keep you from it, I guess. Do you promise me, Noctis?“

Noctis face lit up.

„I promise. I won’t let you down!“

„Do you promise this to your father or to your boss?“

„I promise it to _you_.“

Regis laughed and nodded. „Very well then. I think we are done here for today. You may take your leave now.“

„Thank you Sir“, Noctis imitated the house’s attendants and gave a short and mocking bow, while not letting his eyes go of his father. He smiled amused.

 

Noctis left the house and let himself fall onto a little bench in the backyard. He hummed happily, looking up into the sky that had taken on a soft gradient from blue to a pinkish red. He raised a hand up to the sky and clenched his fingers together, as if grasping something invisible.  
Freedom.  
He had gotten hold of a little fragment of it. And he would not let go of it so easily. This little place he had found today, it had been a wonderful thing. Just what he had been looking for, without even knowing. The little piece of privacy he could never get anywhere else. Maybe this could help him soothe the feeling of being trapped in this life. Maybe it could help him finally understand, who he was. There had to be more than just the shell of Noctis Caelum, heir to the famous perfume house Lucis Scents. And he didn’t want to lose hold of the person underneath.   
And this was exactly why he desperately needed this piece of freedom.

Noctis lowered his hand and closed his eyes.

And those pastries. They were so damn good.  
He wondered if next time he went there, the owner could prepare some for takeaway. He would definitely ask him to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot for sticking to the story! ^o^/
> 
> I know it is very slow paced, but we'll be getting somewhere, I promise ^^
> 
> Also huge thanks to the people who left kudos! I really appreciate it and it makes me very happy <3  
> Don't be afraid to tell me what you're thinking ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gladio and Noct eat.

Weekends always used to be over so quickly. Far too quickly to even notice they were even there. The good thing was that the people were in light mood and most of them enjoyed their scarce amount of free time for leisure. Which was a good thing, no doubt. People needed to destress from time to time.  
This didn’t count for Ignis though.  
Dutifully he would be standing behind his counter, same for this weekend. While other people went out for amusement, he would be the one to ensure they could. At least as far as his customers were concerned. Alas this made normal working days out of the oh-so-cherished weekend for him but Ignis would never complain. Yet he had to make preparations thoroughly enough to last over two days. The market would be closed on Sundays, which limited the opportunities to buy fresh ingredients to one day instead of two. Cumbersome but he had to deal with it.

When Ignis looked out of the window that Saturday morning, his eyes met clouded skies, faintly streaked with the city’s ashes. It seemed to have rained, as the pavement downstairs glistened in somewhat greasy colours.  
Ignis sighed. He was not very fond of humid weather, but at least it was not raining for the moment. Always look at the positive side of things, that’s what his uncle always said.  
His uncle.  
Ignis‘ hands searched for the drawer of his desk and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. His other hand took out a fountain pen and gently pushed the drawer back in place. He sat down in frot of his writing desk and carefully unscrewed the cap of the pen. After a quick check, if the ink inside the little container was still sufficient, Ignis started to write.

_Dear uncle,_  
_the days in Insomnia are growing shorter and the wind colder. I imagine it to be not too long until we spot the first hints of winter._  
_Are you doing alright?_  
_The busy season for the bar is about to start and I figured it might be best to take a vacation before it does. Would you mind me coming over for a short period? My mind is set on a span of about three days. It would be a pleasure to see you again. It has been two years now since I was last capable to visit._

_Please let me know if this causes any inconveniences, and be sure to inform me if there is anything I can bring along.  
I will wait for your news. A quick telegram should be enough. Please take care of yourself._

_Best greetings  
Ignis_

The pen had run smoothly over the paper, softly scraping it when Ignis was writing the letter in his usual neat handwriting.  
_I really should have done this earlier_ he thought silently, as he put the cap back on his pen and stood up from his chair. While he waited to the ink to dry, Ignis was preparing himself to go outside. The Insomnian Post was well known to work fast, so he was sure that his uncle would get his letter by the mid of next week. There would ne no reason for him to decline a visit, but nevertheless Ignis always wanted to make sure to not cause any inconvenience.  
After he got dressed, he folded the letter to fit into an envelope. Downstairs Ignis put on his thin coat and carefully slid the envelope in one of its pockets. First post office, then market. Ignis nodded, confirming once more that this was the most effective way. As he opened the front door, he was met by chilly and humid air. Instead of stepping outside, Ignis went back once more to pick up one of his scarves – the thinner one. It was not at all winter yet but one could never be careful enough. He certainly did not want to be taken down by some nasty cold.

Once he had started walking down the street, Ignis regretted to have take the scarf. It was too warm after all. But now it couldn’t be helped. He rearranged and loosened the part around his neck before starting to walk again.  
The post office was not too crowded, so he had to do much less waiting than he had thought. In a bit more than a month people would start sending their year’s end gifts to their relatives, living out of the city. That season even the Insomnian Post had to struggle with the amount of work to do, so sending parcels in advance was being highly recommended. For now though, Ignis had only to hand in the letter for his uncle. The worker behind the counter reassured him, that his letter would be delivered at destination in three to four days and he nodded in approval. 

When he left the post office some rays of sun had found their way through the clouds. Not as much as to call it a brilliant weather, but at least there was no rain. He especially appreciated that fact when reaching the market. With all the commotion there he would have been sure to get his clothes muddy up to the calf, which would have meant more laundry and by that more work. It is not that he didn’t like work, but one could try to reduce its necessity to a minimum.  
Overlooking the special offers at various stands, Ignis decided to get some of the freshly caught Barramundi filets, some Chickatrice legs, eggs and some of the green peas. As for the other ingredients he should have a decent stock to easily make it through the weekend.

As Ignis was on his way back he thought about today‘s menu of the day. Taking in account his shopping bag, it probably would turn out to be the Barramundi. It should taste best grilled. For Sundays he didn’t have to think of anything anymore. It was long since he had adapted to the lack of day-fresh ingredients. Sunday was pastry day. He used this opportunity to try out on different fillings, seeing what flavours he could create. Until now, his customers did not seem to have given this fact much thought though. They ate them all up anyways, without giving the change notable credit. Ignis couldn’t decide on it being a good or a bad thing.

Once arrived at his place, Ignis stored the food and readied the shop for business. After one last swipe over the tables, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and put on the red apron. He didn’t expect many customers around noon – not even on a Saturday – but the evening would get a little livelier than on weekdays for sure.  
_I should have known better when opening this place as a bar. Café would have fit much better. Although, I don’t hear of cafés opening in the night hours. I guess I have no other choice than keeping things up as they are until my life is more... financially secure._  
There were those times when Ignis wondered if this moment would ever come. Not in close future, this was for sure. But he really wanted to open up a place not only serving meals but also being specialised on all sorts of coffee blends. He could already envision it. If only it weren’t always about the trouble with the finances...

Ignis had just turned on background music and was wiping the counter when door swung open, letting the chime on the frame ring greetingly.  
„Welcome, how can I—oh?“  
He lifted his head towards the entrance when he saw a familiar figure on the threshold.  
„Gladiolus? What a suprise to see you.“ He looked at the wall clock. „I wouldn’t have expected you to come over around this time of the day. Is something the matter?“  
Gladio was leaning on one arm in the door frame, unusually not wearing his uniform. Instead he was wearing a dark green leather jacket over a black tank top and white trousers ( _what a peculiar taste_ ), hair loose on his shoulders. Shifting on his feet Gladio pulled up one eyebrow and formed his mouth into a grin. „I’m not that much of a routine guy as you think, Ignis. I just felt like coming over for lunch, is that bad? After all _I_ get to enjoy my weekends from time to time.“

Ignis shot him a questioning look as he folded his wiping cloth between his hands. „Oh, but of course it’s not. Take your seat, wherever you like. I’ll start cooking right away.“ He gestured around the room with one hand and made his way behind the counter.  
„Great. I figured that from time to time it’s better to go for healthy food.“ Gladio let himself drop onto his usual seat at the counter. This is how they had gotten into talking in the first place.  
Ignis was rumbling behind the counter to get out his pans and pots.  
„Well, I cannot deny that a healthy diet is the key to a lot of things indeed. Yet it seems unusual for you to address this matter. I imagine you do enough exercise to not worry too much about your condition. Do you need a menu?“  
Gladio gave it a quick thought, scratching his cheek with one hand. Hmm, maybe you just tell me what’s on for today? I’m not a picky eater.“

„The menu of the day would be grilled Barramundi then. What do you say?“

„Fine by me. Can you add a set of rice balls to it?“

„Certainly. Just a moment of patience then, if you will.“

„Sure thing.“

While Ignis was preparing the menu, Gladio had turned around to look out of the window, watching the people passing by. Eventually he ended up taking off his jacket, revealing imposing tattoos on his arms. Ignis‘ eyes lingered a moment trying to figure out, what the design might be. It looked like a pair of wings.  
_I certainly wouldn’t have expected this from a police officer. If I didn‘t know him, I guess it would be a quite intimidating sight._  
Raising his eyebrows in something between surprise and shock, he forced his gaze back onto the fish in front of him. The other man seemed to have noticed though and turned back to face Ignis again.

„Surprised huh?“, he asked with a smug tone. Ignis rearranged his glasses before speaking.

„It would be a lie to say ‚no‘ I suppose. It is quite an impressive design.“

„Yeah, I know. It’s my vow. To always protect justice and things that matter.“ He hit his fist twice against his chest, right above his heart. A spark of energy and determination showed up in his amber eyes and a strong smile decorated his face.

„A quite strong conviction. And not the worst as I might want to add.“  
_Maybe there would have been other... subtle ways to express it, but this is not my cup of tea._

Ignis started chopping some carrots and beans, while the fish was sizzlig on the grill when he spoke up again.  
„So... about you showing up.“

„What about it?“

„I’m still positive that there is some reason behind it. Or am I mistaken after all?“ He paused the chopping for a moment and peeked over the rim of his glasses. As far as Gladio’s reaction went, he seemed to be right. With a subtle yet triumphant smile he directed his eyes towards his vegetables again and continued the chopping.

„Whoa, you’re scary Ignis.“

„Says the tough one with the tattoos?“

„Hey, that’s a matter of pride not of scaring people. But seriously, you should come over next time we have a questioning going on at the police station. You’d figure out if they are lying in no time.“

„Which makes my mere assumption a fact then. Thank you kindly“, Ignis replied, his grin widening just a bit.  
Gladio let his shoulders fall and rolled with his eyes in defeat.

„Okay, found guilty. There _is_ something behind it. Or rather some _one_.“ Gladio crossed his arms on the counter. „My sister Iris played a trick on me. She’s busying herself with work this weekend again, and, well, she’s the one of in charge of cooking.“  
Ignis shot him a reproachful look and Gladio quickly waved his hand in defense.  
„Hey, no. Look, normally I’m having tin-pasta those times. I really dig them, so it’s not even a problem for me, but Iris is always talking about eating healthier and stuff.“

„Which I can fully understand, just on a sidenote.“

„So what did she do? She hid the tins that I had still left somewhere, with a note to take better care of my diet. I really looked for them everywhere throughout the house and I couldn’t find them.“

Ignis huffed out a laugh while he was arranging Gladio’s lunch on a plate. „Isn’t this a conscientious young lady. You might want to thank her for this sometime.“ He put the plate with the grilled fish on the counter and reached out for the fresh rice.  
„Yeah, thank her on your behalf for gaining a little extra“, Gladio returned and pulled the plate closer. It smelled deliciously.

„You could avoid spending your pocket money by cooking yourself, Gladiolus. There are quite a lot of easy yet healthy recipes to try. Not that I’d complain about additional funds.“

„Nah, I’m good like this. Cooking is not for me and your food is good. Might as well come here then.“

„Don’t you think you’re relying too much on other’s capabilities?“, Ignis shot back. The rice in his hands started taking the shape of a well formed triangle.

„Can’t be good at _everything_ after all“, Gladio laughed, taking knife and fork into his hands and starting to dig in.

Just when Ignis was putting the small plate with three rice balls onto the counter the chime at the door rang a second time that noon.  
„Welcome, what can I—oh... Good day.“  
Ignis had swiftly turned himself in the direction of the entrance to greet the customer but again he had been caught off guard. The second time that day already. 

There he was again. The mysterious black haired boy in fine clothing. He was looking around, not having expected any other customers around that time apparently. His shoulders stiffened at the impressive sight of Gladio and his prominent tattooed arms and he started fidgeting with his hands nervously. Gladio too had stopped eating, fork still tucked between his teeth, staring at the rather delicate figure in disbelief. The boy’s deep blue eyes flickered around the room and it looked as if he was about to dash right out of the door again, when Ignis managed to lock with his gaze.

For a moment mesmerized by the depth of his blue eyes, Ignis unconsciously gave a gentle smile before taking a short and almost unnoticable bow.  
„Noctis, if I remember it right? I didn’t expect you’d be blessing me with your presence so soon again. It is a pleasure to welcome you. Can I offer you a seat?“  
Noctis‘ eyes shortly flickered over nervously to the bulky man at the counter, who had caught himself staring and was now trying to concentrate on his food. „I er—can come around later again. So you don’t have to manage more than one person at a time. This, uhm—it’s tiring for you. I guess?“

Ignis inclined his head, the smile still not fading. „Do I have to remind you that it is my job and that I am very well capable of looking after my guests? Besides I think we already had that sort of conversation before. You’re here _now_ , isn’t that right? Why bother leaving only to come back again? So please, take a seat if you will. I will come over with the menu in just a minute.“

„Uhm, okay? If... you say so. Thanks.“ Noctis shuffled past Gladio, still eyeing him somewhat suspiciously and sat down at the table with the bigger window, just as last time.  
Ignis picked up a menu and moved effortlessly towards the table.  
„The menu hasn’t changed since last time, but as you didn’t have a look at it yet, maybe you might want to do so now. Or is your mind already set?“

Noctis took the menu and opened it, quickly glancing over to Gladio once more. Then he beckoned Ignis to come a little closer. There was a faint flowery scent lingering on his black hair.  
„Are you sure—I mean, er... Is it safe to be around here? Are you okay? I mean, I didn’t realise this place was... visited by, uhm...“ He struggled with words and nervously bit his lower lip. Ignis turned his head over to Gladio. He really was a somewhat intimidating sight for a stranger. He chuckled as he turned to Noctis again, speaking with a low voice.  
„I assure you this man to be a decent one. He is a friend of mine and besides the chief officer of the local police station. So please do not worry. There will be no harm of any sort inflicted to you, while you stay. I will personally guarantee it.“

Noctis seemed baffled, now knowing that the suspicious guy was actually a policeman, but the tensity vanished from his shoulders and a slightly embarrassed blush rose to his cheeks.  
„Okay, I got it. Thanks. I’ll... have a look at the menu then“, he said and pulled the menu card close to his face.

„As you wish.“

When Ignis returned behind the counter to clean up his pot and make it ready for use again, he met Gladio’s eyes. The confusion pretty much resembled what he had seen in Noctis‘ face just moments ago. Gladio bent over the counter.  
„You didn’t tell me you were close with people from the upper ring. I thought for a moment the guy might be lost here.“  
„Oh, I am certainly not. The young master came over for the first time only few days ago. He insisted on not being called that way though, which is why somehow I ended up calling him by name“, Ignis explained while he was thoroughly scrubbing the remains of an onion off the grill. Gladio eyed him suspiciously.  
„And what was that look for?“

Ignis stopped scrubbing and flashed a sharp look over the rim of his glasses.  
„I don’t know what you are referring to, Gladiolus. You might want to elaborate“, he answered puzzled.  
Gladio pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

„You were making a pretty untypical face just now. What was that sugary smile for?“

A frown ghosted over the bespectacled face. „I don‘t know what you are talking about.“

„Uhm, excuse me?“  
Just as Gladio wanted to pick up on that subject for further explanations, the husky voice of the black haired boy rose into the air.  
„On my way.“

With a still confused frown in the officer’s direction, Ignis went back to see what the young master – _Noctis; just don’t give it too much thought_ – had decided on.  
He was awaited by a pair of eager looking eyes that stood in contrast to the nervous twitching of Noctis‘ mouth.  
„Did something on the menu catch your eye?“

„Yeah. But, I couldn’t really decide on one thing, so... I’d like to have some of the grilled Barramundi, fries and the Schnitzel sandwich, please.“  
Noctis had a somewhat unsure expression on his face, as if he wasn’t really sure about what he was doing at the moment.  
Ignis blinked fast and almost unnoticeably shook his head as if to sort the things he just heard. Gladio seemed to have choked on something and he had to beat his fist onto his chest to be able to breathe normally again. Noctis face seemed to turn pinkish.

Ignis found his composure again and started to repeat Noctis‘ order.  
„So, the Barramundi, fries and Schnitzel sandwich, is that correct?“  
The boy in front of him nodded jerkily. Ignis had to hold back a chuckle.  
„Well in this case, how about I reduce the amount of each dish to not upset your stomach too much“, he suggested. It was more a statement than a question.  
Noctis scratched his neck with one hand and nodded with a crooked smile. „Yeah, sounds good? I... really couldn’t decide.“

„But of course“, Ignis replied with an understanding tone, collecting the menu from his customer’s hand.  
„Ah, and the pastry!“, Noctis added hastily.  
For a moment Ignis thought that he saw something sparkling in the boy’s eyes.  
„We wouldn’t want to miss out on dessert, would we? I will take care of it“, Ignis replied, amusement slowly spreading on his face.  
_What a healthy appetite._

As Ignis retreated behind the counter again, Noctis had pulled out a pencil or a similar utensil and started scribbling onto his napkin. Meanwhile, Ignis got the fire going again and prepared the ordered food with routine movements.

„That guy’s quite the eater, huh?“, Gladio remarked with a hint of fun in his voice. „Wouldn’t have guessed that.“

„Well Gladiolus, you cannot judge people from their appearance after all. Besides I’m rather happy to know that my cooking is cherished.“  
A sizzling noise rose from the grill and the smell of roasted meat and fish started to emerge.

„Come on, how could one not like it? I bet every girl in town would immediately fall for you and your cooking, trust me. Even Highwind talked about your food the day after we had dinner at yours.“

Ignis raised an eyebrow, while he was chopping carrots into a salad to go with the fish.  
„I don’t know what you might possibly be referring to, but I can assure you that I have made no such experience until now. At least as far as what has caught my ear.“

Gladio hummed in disapproval.  
„I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I’m right. Or would you prefer having the guys being all crazy over you?“

„I _would prefer_ having you concern yourself about _other_ things than _my_ love life, Gladiolus. This is not really a matter to be discussed. I would not have the time for a companion anyways, as you might guess.“ Ignis‘ shoulders had stiffened a bit and he suddenly had turned very busy arranging the food on the plates.  
„Just saying.“ Gladio shrugged defensively and started picking up the remains on his own plate.

„Apart from that you might see that you find someone yourself. I guess you might need somebody else than your sister or me taking care of your healthy nutrition sometime?“, Ignis added, slightly piqued.  
Gladio shook his head, thoroughly chewing on his last bit of fish.  
„Not gonna happen. For now I’m married to justice.“

„What a chaste lady. To me you always looked like a more passionate man. Look, I don’t think this is going to take us any further, so let us stop this conversation right here.“  
Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before he skillfully balanced smaller sized versions of the three ordered main dishes and headed towards the table in the back.  
Noctis was still scribbling onto his napkin, but the expression of his face gave away, that he must have overheard the conversation (which was not too difficult as the bar was small and the music not too loud). He laid his pencil aside when Ignis put down the plates on the table.

„There we go, the main dish trio special for you“, Ignis said lively to relax the mood a bit. He just hoped Noctis was not feeling too uneasy by Gladio’s presence. Noctis probably wouldn’t have such talk casually, let alone on an everyday basis.  
„Wow, looks amazing“, he replied, looking up to Ignis from behind his bangs. Ignis smiled in satisfaction.  
„I hope you will enjoy it. The pastry will follow as soon as you are finished with these.“

„Yeah, kind of you. Thanks.“

Before he left Noctis on his own again, Ignis caught a glimpse of the napkin. There were some swirls and patterns drawn onto it and something that looked liked letters.  
_Curious_ he thought, as he collected Gladio’s empty dish and put it in the sink.

 

The talking with Gladio continued for a while. He was complaining about Aranea’s composure at work and worrying about Iris. He apparently had managed to talk to her and announced Ignis that he would bring her along in close future and Ignis told him, that he’d be looking forward to meeting her.  
The conversation was interrupted once, when he went over to see after Noctis and to bring him the pastry.  
Then Gladio talked on and on. Something about how he had spotted a guy snitching apples and bread on the market and that he’d be watching him closely from now on. Ignis hoped that he wasn’t talking about Prompto. Then he went on lamenting about all the paperwork and other things that Ignis did not really listen to closely. Instead his eyes wandered over to Noctis, who again was fully immersed in the pastry. He already had looked happy when eating the other things before (only leaving the carrots aside; this didn’t go unnoticed) but the pastry somehow brought out of him an air of delightment Ignis found rather charming.  
_I really might want to think about offering take-away for those_ he thought with a smirk.

Noctis left the bar before Gladio, handing over a generous tip again. He seemed to be in a hurry. Ignis gave a quick bow.  
„Thank you for your patronage. I hope to see you again soon, Noctis“, he said to him before he left, still treating the last word with extra care.  
„Will do“, the black haired boy replied with his usual crooked grin, just glancing quickly over to Gladio once more and nodding greetingly before he left.  
Gladio too heft himself up from the stool and grabbed his jacket to leave. „Alright, time for me to get going as well. Still some cleaning stuff to do at home“, he said, jabbing his money onto the counter.

„I wish you the best of success then, and thank you for your patronage.“

Gladio snorted. „No need to go all formal on me, Ignis. Save that up for the fancy guy.“

„Oh, I don’t really make differences between my customers Gladiolus. They are all welcome here.“

„Yeah, right. But you better try and keep yourself together. Your usual oh-so-cool composure was not as flawless today as you might think.“

Ignis tilted his head in a mix of frustration confusion.  
„You seem to be very eager for picking on me today. I’ll keep that in mind, even though I still don’t really know what you are talking about.“

Gladio pointed at his eye with his finger and then directed it towards Ignis. He repeated this movement twice with an unreadable smirk on his face. „I know what I saw Ignis. Laters then.“

Ignis stood in the door, polishing his glasses and waiting for Gladio to vanish in the crowd.  
As he started cleaning up Noctis‘ table (the crumbs were less than last time, yet still an impressive amount) his eyes were caught by the napkin again.  
There were different swirls on it, neatly drawn out and something Ignis thought might be some sort of stylised flowers and leaves. In another corner he found some random letters, also beautifully designed.  
_I wonder if Noctis had been educated in the fine arts. This is so well thought out, he might as well pursue a career with it and not just cultivate it as mere hobby. It would be a shame to lose this potential. Maybe I should talk to him about this next time he comes here._

Ignis hesitated shortly, before his rational thinking kicked in again and he decided to throw the napkin away. It was only a napkin after all. Even though the sketches were rather aesthetical. But it was only a napkin.  
After he had finished cleaning up, Ignis took off his glasses for a moment. He stretched his arms and back and glanced over at the clock on the wall. One hour to go till break. He gave his glasses another swipe before putting them back on. Gladio’s words were echoing in his mind all the time.

_I‘m still wondering what he was actually talking about._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot for sticking around and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
> It's still taking a little time to get all the bros build up some sort of friendship, but I'm geting there, I promise. I'm trying hard and I hope it's not boring to read x'D
> 
> And thank you so much for all the hits and kudos! Both have like almost doubled since last time, I'm really happy ;w;  
> I hope I won't disappoint you and you'll like coming with me on this journey.
> 
> As always: Let me know what you think if you feel like! Kudos are highly appreciated as well!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis and Noctis talk.

In the early morning hours Prompto showed up with one of Ignis‘ empty tin boxes they used to exchange the leftover food. He had told Ignis that he’d get a box of his own, so that he wouldn’t have to lend him any, but up till now he apparently couldn’t afford it. Ignis was thoroughly looking at him, while he packed the box. He already had wondered the last times when he had seen him but now he couldn’t help himself but ask.  
„Say, Prompto, I might be mistaken but did you lose weight again?“  
The blond haired boy jumped at this blunt and direct question.  
„What, me? No way! You’re imagining things Iggy“, he laughed weakly, waving a hand in front of his face.

Ignis made a pensive noise, as he faced the box again. „I assume you are eating properly then?“, he added, not looking away from his working hands. He saw Prompto kneading his arm from the corner of his eye. _Ah. So you aren’t._  
„Y-yeah, don’t worry about me! I—I’m doing fine, really!“

„Hmm...“  
Ignis closed the lid of the tin and looked over to see Prompto’s smile had turned into something tense. The boy‘s eyes flickered hectically between Ignis‘ face and the box he was holding. He almost looked like a cat, wanting to dart at him and snatch the food right out of his hands. When Ignis handed it over, he did not let go of the box immediately. Prompto pulled at it a little too energetically, making him pull not only on the box but also on Ignis‘ arms. The urge for food was hereby completely exposed. His eyes widened in panic and embarrassment.  
Ignis let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, while he finally pushed the box into Prompto’s hands.

„You really _are_ incorrigible, aren’t you.“  
It was not a question.  
Prompto let out a miserable laugh.  
„Guess, I really can’t fool you. Some sharp eyes you got there, dude. Must be because of your glasses, haha...“ His voice was shaky.  
Ignis pulled his glasses off his face and laid them down onto the counter, while he waved at Prompto to take a seat. He ran the palm of his hand over his forehead, exhaustion tweaking by his eyes. No wonder, it was four in the morning after all.

„Prompto, this is leading you nowhere. Are you keeping up with your search for work?“, he asked as he pulled out one of the frying pans he just had rinced a moment ago. Then he reached out for his frames to settle them back onto his face again.

„I-it’s nothing! Just having a bad day. People are not always in good mood for stories aaand, maybe I should stock up on narrating and acting techniques? I’ll be fine in no time again. I mean, the kids are still listening, you know?“ He waved his hands defensively in front of his chest.

„That was not an answer to my question, Pompto“, Ignis remarked sharply, whisking something in a bowl.

„Yeah, I... thought you might say that.“ Prompto bit his lip so hard it turned pale and Ignis saw how he was struggling to fight back his desperation. They both turned silent for a moment, the only thing to be heard was the soft sizzling of the frying pan. Prompto took a deep breath.  
„You know, I...“ He broke off mid- sentence and ran his hand along his neck hastily.  
„I know how this must sound to you. Like a lazy bone, a good-for-nothing just killing his time in the streets and bumming food and a place to sleep from caring people. Sometimes, I feel like being nothing more a huge burden myself. It’s... not nice you know?“ His voice broke over the last words. Ignis‘ head snapped up, green eyes fixing on the scrawny boy in alert. He wouldn’t have imagined to make Prompto cry with his remark. He was usually laughing it off but apparently today he had hit the mark.  
His brow furrowed in worry.

„Prompto, look I, ah... I imagine you must have some kind of... issues you deal with. And I didn’t intend to upset you, forgive me. I was just hoping to motivate you, so you would get out of your circumstances as soon as possible.“

Prompto rubbed his arm over his eyes.  
„Nah, it’s nothing“, he sniffed, sad eyes looking at the tips of his own feet.  
„I should probably just get the next best work in one of the factories. The ones in the outskirts, you know? They are always searching for people anyways. The work is easy too. Not that I would like it, but I guess there is no other use for a guy like me. Maybe I will just have to get signed up tomorrow then.“

„No. You definitely won’t.“ Ignis‘ voice was hard and determined and Prompto flinched at the harsh sound of it.  
Ignis green eyes flared into his direction, as if to pierce right through his skull.  
„Whoa. Are you... mad at me Iggy?“

„By no means. But I will certainly not let my words pressure you to work in those abominable death halls. You know that people working there usually don’t last long. People are being dragged out of there, fully eaten up from inside by this horrible sickness. I don’t want a friend to face a such cruel fate.“ He huffed out his disapproval before continuing with a much gentler voice. „I am sorry Prompto. I was just concerned about your well being. I did not mean no harm you.“

Ignis put down a bowl in front of Prompto. It had something hot and steaming inside. As the blonde took a closer look, he could make out fried potatoes mixed with scrambled eggs and shreds of ham. He quickly turned his head away from Ignis so that he might not see the streak of tears flowing down his cheeks. But of course he did anyways.  
Wordlessly he handed over one of the napkins. Prompto glanced over and quickly rubbed the back of his hand all over his face until is was fully red and his eyes all puffy, still glistening with tears.

„I’m terrible Ignis, I’m sorry.“

„Never mind“, he reassured him, putting down the napkin again and rinsing the utensils he just used. „Now first of all eat up. I do not wish to see any of this left when you’re done.“

Prompto wordlessly stuffed the food into his mouth, cherishing every bit of it. Sometimes he had to wipe another tear from his cheek, but he continued eating.  
When he was done, he felt a little better.

„Guess I... should really start looking for something. After all, I cannot always keep chasing after my dreams. I can’t live off them anyways.“  
Prompto had come behind the counter and washed up his dish and cutlery, while Ignis was storing the frying pan away.

„I don’t think of having dreams as something bad, you must know. They keep you going through the day, so you might want to hold on to it. I do so myself.“

The eyes of the blonde widened in astonishment. „ _You_ have dreams too, Iggy?“

„You’re surprised?“ Ignis ran a hand trough the hair on the back of his head, holding back a yawn.

„Uhm, yeah, a bit maybe? I just didn’t think you were the kind of dreaming guy. You always seem so... in check and rational about the stuff you do? I wouldn’t have thought you were actually aiming at something else than what you have. I mean, you seem to be happy with what you do, you know?“

Ignis smiled weakly.  
„Well, I would not say that I’m unhappy, that’s for sure. Yet I can’t deny that I put a lot of energy and effort into my work every day. I guess I would appreciate a bit more... leisure, if you want to put it that way. But to achieve one’s goal, one must continue forward, which is what I am trying to do.“

„Huh. I really hope you get there one day.“ Prompto nudged Ignis‘ shoulder.  
„Guess you’re right. I have things I want to achieve too you know? Like, I want to help out Monica and the kids, they did so much for me. And—and I want one of those portable photographomats! You know, the ones they put on display? I always loved looking at pictures and I want to try taking some myself.“ A hopeful smile brightened up his sad-eyed face.

„Now, isn’t this something nice to strive for?“, Ignis said, taking off his apron and hanging it on a hook next to the backroom door. „Maybe you should keep this in mind for daily motivation.“

Prompto nodded.  
„Yeah. Might keep me working. Pull through stuff I don’t really like.“

„Maybe you can even find a profession _that_ you like, though. Just try searching sincerely. I am sure you will find something. But you have to start trying at least.“ Ignis couldn’t hold back the yawn any longer and tried to hide it with the palm of his hand.

„Hmhm. I will. Sorry for bothering tonight again Ignis. I really try to get things going but it’s not that easy.“ Prompto pursed his lips but the deep despair from before had vanished from his face. „I’ll... better leave so you to get some sleep now then. Once I am able to, I will pay you back for all this, I promise“, he said, clutching the tin box firmly in his hands.

„Yes, yes now don’t worry too much and see that you think about your perspectives.“

„I really mean it, Ignis. I’m not trying to shrug it off. Please let me, as soon as I can?“ Prompto’s voice sounded firm.  
Another yawn escaped Ignis‘ mouth as he nodded in agreement. Prompto smiled weakly.  
„Thanks. Now then, see you later. Have a good night.“

„Ah, Prompto?“  
He had already placed a hand on the doorknob as Ignis called out to him once more.

„Hm? What is it?“

„The police officer told me today that he is keeping a wary eye on somebody who is stealing food on the market. I hope he was not talking about you, but please be careful. And try not to snatch away so much. You’ll make yourself miserable.“

Prompto nodded slowly.  
„Okay, thanks for the info. I... don’t know how fast I can manage to change my life, but... I’ll try to be careful.“

„Good. Now then, take care Prompto.“

After the door had closed with the soft tinkle of the chime, Ignis locked up the place and made his way straight to the bedroom. At least no market in the morning, so he might as well sleep a little longer. Maybe.

 

Ignis fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, which seemed to have a strong recovering effect. When he woke up the next morning, he did not feel as strained as he sometimes did after a longer night. With a look at his watch he also knew why – he had slept by far longer than normally.  
 _Well, no matinal reading then I suppose._ Though maybe he might get a chance at reading a bit during the working hours. He didn’t expect many people to come by, especially not around Sunday mornings. But his premonition had failed him quite some times lately, so he didn’t want to be too sure of it. Nevertheless he took one of the books from his shelf downstairs, just in case.

He would not be able to concentrate on it. That much was sure as soon as Noctis had walked into the bar shortly after noon. His hair was orderly standing on end as usual, yet his choice of clothes let him appear a lot less noble. He was wearing a black shirt, unbuttoned and with rolled up sleeves, with a dark grey top underneath and black trousers of firm fabric, casually strapped up at his knees. Only the bracelet dangling from his wrist gave away a hint at his status. It was all black leather strands with some silver elements and purplish-blue stones to it. Of course you could see that the clothes too were of high quality when you looked closely, but it was by far not as obvious as his waistcoat outfit had been. Today he looked kind of... normal. Approachable.

Noctis closed the door behind him, revealing a shoulder bag behind his back. He turned around again to greet Ignis.

„Hey.“

Ignis curved his mouth into a smile, as he put down his book.  
„Good day, Noctis. What a surprise to see you again. I was not thinking you’d be coming over _today_ when I said ‚soon‘ yesterday.“  
This time, he was able to pronounce his name without hindrance. Fascinating, what effects clothing could have.

Noctis lazily scratched the back of his head, eyes facing the ground.  
„Yeah. Somehow I ended up coming over again. I hope it’s not a problem?“

„Oh, no it’s quite alright. Your visit was just... unexpected. But of course I have no objections of any kind.“

A grin flashed across Noctis face, as he lifted it up.  
„Nice. I was planning to become a regular anyway. Just so you know.“

Ignis‘ eyes widened impalpably, yet a proud warmth started spreading in his chest. Nobody had ever told him before that they’d want to become a regular. It was not something to be _planned_. People just kept coming back and as a consequence they became regulars. It just _happened_ over time.  
He huffed out a short but genuine laugh.  
„What an odd thing to say, but I appreciate your kind words. Now, don’t stand there in the entrance any longer, just have a seat, if you will.“

Noctis chuckled awkwardly and sat down at his usual place. The one at the bigger of the windows with view on the street. He flung his bag on the chair behind him and started unpacking things on the table. Pencil, eraser, a short ruler and a book, probably for sketching again, as Ignis thought.  
Ignis rinsed his hands with water, before he picked up one of the menus to bring over. Noctis quickly turned his head in his direction and raised a hand, signaling him, that he wouldn’t need it. Ignis stopped in mid-motion and raised an eyebrow at the boy.  
„Your mind is already made up?“

„Yeah“, he replied and pointed at the door with his thumb. „There was something about ‚special pastry set‘ written on the board outside, so I guess I can’t miss out on that. What’s the ‚special‘ to it?“

Ignis put down the menu again, lifting one hand onto his hip. „I should have guessed. You seemed to be rather fond of it. Weren’t it the pastries that guided you here in first place?“

„Wow, some crazy memory you have there. Yeah, I think it was the berry jam.“ Noctis ran a thumb over his lower lip. „So, what’s with the ‚special‘ today?“

„Ah, yes. Well, I usually try out variations of my trusted recipe on Sundays. So the ‚special‘ about it would be the different filling I suppose.“

„Hmm...“ Noctis tapped his pencil against his chin, frowning pensively. „But, the set still comes with the berry flavoured one, right?“

„But of course. I use to change the filling of only one of the pastries in the set at a time. It is kind of an experiment if you want. That being said, there have been no claims about it as far as I can remember.“

The arranged mess of black hair swayed back and forth as Noctis nodded, convinced by what he had heard. „Alright. I’ll give it a try. I don’t believe there is a better match than the berries though.“ He glanced at Ignis with a defying look.   
The green eyes squinted behind the corrective lenses and the corner of his mouth turned into a playful grin.  
„Challenge accepted. Let’s see if I can convince you then.“

While Ignis was preparing the pastry, Noctis had turned to his notebook, scribbling and sketching out things that could not be guessed from the distance. He would sometimes run his hand through his hair, accompanied by a sound of disapproval, sometimes sticking out his tongue at the corner of his mouth, as if this actually helped him concentrate. Then again he would lay down the pencil once in a while and look at his sheet of paper with a contented smile, just to turn over the page and restart the procedure again. It was fascinating watching all sorts of emotions and little gestures washing over him. Watching Noctis drawing was a rather satisfying sight Ignis had to force his eyes away from more than once.

As the pastry had wandered into the oven, Ignis set up a cup of coffee for himself and picked up the book he had brought with him to pass the waiting time. He couldn’t concentrate on the content. It was certainly exaggerated to think that it was _Noctis_ who had his more or less full attention but he came to the conclusion that it was simply inappropriate to read as long as there were customers to look after. With a soundless sigh he put down the book on the counter again and took off his glasses to give them another swipe. While he was running his handkerchief thoroughly over the lenses, he hadn’t noticed that Noctis was watching him.

„Hey Specs, what is it you’re reading?“

It took a moment to process that it was _him_ whom he was talking to. Ignis blinked in confusion.

„Beg you pardon?“  
Ignis‘ vision was a little blurry without his glasses, yet he could make out fairly enough that the young man had turned his eyes away from him, and that he was struggling with words in embarrassment. He was not sure if it was the lighting playig tricks on him, but he thought that his cheeks seemed a lot more colourful than just moments ago.  
Noctis hooked his hand to his shoulder, sucking in air between his teeth.

„I, uhm—sorry. I was just curious... what the book you’re reading is about?" He swallowed noticeably.

Ignis put on his glasses again and saw a (now clear) picture of pure embarrassment sitting in front of him. As relaxed as Noctis had been when walking in, as tense he looked now, slumped into his chair, face turned towards somewhere outside.

„I, ah...“ This situation was somehow unsettling. Ignis cleared his throat and straightened his back before he spoke up again.  
„It is a book on edible flowers and how to include them into culinary art. I was wondering if I could maybe make use of it as soon as spring draws near again.“

Noctis sat up straight again, his shoulders stiff and his voice a little too high pitched.  
„Oh. F-flowers, right. Totally forgot there are some you can eat, haha.“

Ignis raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
„I was quite convinced that you might have crossed some before, at least considering your social sphere, pardon my intrusion. But yes, you can. In fact there is quite a variety of plants you might not deem edible at first.“  
When he was about to elaborate about this subject, the uprising scent reminded him that he had pastries to take out of the oven. Ignis excused himself and swirled around to get them out.  
 _Now that was quite close._

Noctis had shoved his utensils aside as Ignis approached his table to deliver the plate with the pastries. He put it down with a soft clang, holding out a set of cutlery.  
„Today’s special is apple-cinnamon custard“, he explained, studying the unreadable expression on the pale face. „Let me know what you think of it.“

Instead of retreating to the back of his counter, as he usually would, Ignis leaned against its front. He leasurely crossed his arms and flung one foot over the other, eyes fixed on the tense figure before him.  
Noctis glanced over and visibly gulped, as he saw Ignis tilting his head in expectation.

„Oh, er, yeah. Sure. Will do. Thanks.“

Ignis‘ gaze still lingered a moment longer, before he closed his eyes and inclined his head. It was rude to stare, so he should let him eat in peace after all.

„Very well.“  
Ignis pushed himself away from the counter with a sharp movement of his upper body and went back to clean the cooking supplies he had used for making the pastries.  
 _Specs?_  
Had Noctis really _addressed_ him that way? Somehow he felt invaded, as if his skin was stretched too tight around his joints. Should he feel offended about it? But maybe he just misheard. Couldn’t it be, that Noctis actually had said _wait a sec_? At least it would seem plausible, concerning that he might have been wondering about the book. Maybe Noctis had seen it somewhere before, just in different context. Yet this would not explain the reaction he had shown, as Ignis had explained about his lecture.  
 _How irritating._

Ignis poured himself the coffee he had set up before. While taking a sip, he studied Noctis, who was having a bite of the new pastry creation, thoughtfully staring into the air. (The coffee was well done this time. It tasted just as magnificent as he had imagined.) Looking at Noctis, sitting there crossed legged in rather casual clothing, one foot teetering up and down and the fork between his lips, it was hard to believe he was living a life in upper class. He looked just so... normal. Way more similar to Prompto in fact. Ignis would have to watch his wording. He definitely felt tempted to start on reprimanding him about his manners, but he swallowed his comment. Noctis was _not_ Prompto. And above all he was a customer.  
After he had taken another sip of his coffee, Ignis realised how the pair of sapphire eyes had locked with his own gaze.

_Ah._  
He had been staring again.

Ignis lowered his eyes and put down his cup. Somehow this person had a strange and distracting effect on him and his usually sharp perception. He cleared his throat and rested one hand on his hip before he spoke. „So, your impression?“  
Noctis quickly glanced at his plate again, tipping the teeth of his fork against his mouth.

„Yeah it’s... it’s good?“ It came out like a question.

Ignis furrowed his brow.  
„That doesn’t quite speak of enthusiasm. Did I mess it up at some point? Please tell me honestly, I’m thankful for every advice given.“  
He couldn’t deny that he felt failiure unpleasantly nagging at his ego. 

„No, It’s good. Really.“  
Noctis took another bite, as if to prove that he meant it. Then he looked toward Ignis again, one cheek stuffed with the sweet dessert.  
„There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just that I like the berries better. They just... fit somehow?“  
The words came out muffled, somewhere from inbetween custard and apple bits. Noctis shrugged.  
„I don’t know, maybe it’s just some personal thing. But that doesn’t mean the variation is bad or something.“

Ignis nudged his glasses and huffed out a small laugh in defeat. No need to get worked up on this. This was beyond him.  
„Well, then I might have to take a different approach to the challenge next time. Let’s see if I can come up with something more... convincing. Only if you are inclined to cooperate that is.“  
Noctis swallowed down the piece of pastry and pulled up one corner of his mouth into an awkward yet somewhat typical smile.  
„Yeah. Can’t wait to try it.“

„Good.“

Then it was silent for a while, only the background music playing and an occasional clink of Noctis‘ fork, colliding with the glass plate. Ignis was standing behind the counter in a relaxed manner, sipping on his cup of coffee while continuing his book. Noctis had taken up drawing again, soft scraping sounds of pencil on paper filling the air. It felt comfortable.  
Then Noctis‘ husky voice rose again.

„Uhm, S-specs?“

Ignis‘ head snapped up. So he _hadn’t_ been mistaken after all. He _had_ been called like that. A miffed sigh escaped his mouth as he sat down the book to look at Noctis. He saw him fidgeting with his pencil in his hands. It was unsettling.

„So you _did_ refer to me after all. Noctis, how come I deserve that kind of appellation of yours? I hope you are not making fun of my spectacles, or are you?“ Ignis made a difficult face. 

Noctis winced, his hand flying up to the back of his head again, uncomfortably scratching it.  
„N-no? I don’t want to annoy you, really.“ He held up a waving hand, eyes to the floor.

Ignis crossed his arms over his chest.  
„Well, how come then, if I might ask?“

„Uhm, you... you never really told me your name? And... I had to call you somehow. Not a fan of the ‚hey you‘ thing“, Noctis tried to explain cautiously.

_Oh._  
The frown on Ignis face dissolved instantly and now it was his time to feel embarrassed. How had this fact escaped him? He hadn’t given it much thought but effectively, yes. Ignis ran his hand along his jawline.

„Thinking about it, you are right indeed. Please forgive my ill manners. Allow me to introduce myself then. Ignis Scientia, at your humble service.“ He bowed his head in a greeting.

Noctis smiled, dropped his pencil, pushed his chair back and made his way to the counter. He held out his hand towards him.

„Nice to meet you, Ignis.“


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which pastries are made and they talk a bit more.

To think they had spent their time without Ignis giving a proper introduction felt stupid. Ignis regretted to not have noticed this earlier. But now it was done and it felt a little less awkward between them than before.  
Noctis had stood up from his seat and was now shaking Ignis‘ hand in greeting. His skin was warm and smooth and his hands actually bigger than they looked from afar. 

They let go of each other’s hands again and while Noctis was reinstalling himself at the table, Ignis brought his hand up to the face, readjusting his corrective lenses. As he did, he noticed a faint sweet and flowery scent emerging from his own hand. Shortly wondering why, enlightment came quickly enough. Noctis must have put on a fragrance.  
Somehow Ignis wouldn’t have thought of Noctis to be a fan of scents, but calling his social status back to mind it might not be that unsual after all. He held his fingers close to his face for just a moment longer. He liked it. It was somehow familiar, strangely enough. Ignis couldn’t make out why – the only fragrance he had ever known was the cologne his uncle put on for special occasions – but it had something soothing to it.

Fascinated he was looking at Noctis again. The black haired boy, who had gone back to sketching again noticed this time, letting his eyes drop aside shortly after meeting Ignis‘.  
„Uhm, Ignis?“

The sound of Noctis calling out his name felt surreal.  
„Y-yes, pardon?“, Ignis stammered, struggling to not let his composure slip away.

Noctis hesitated, searching for words before he let out a frustrated sigh.  
„Okay, let’s just not make this awkward. Look, I’m hovered around by people at home all the time, you see? And, er—well, you don’t... need to be overly reacting to what I do? Like, just because I happen to be born into a family that is... uhm.. richer than average? This doesn’t mean that... Haah, how should I put this...?“

Ignis summed it up in clear and precise wording.  
„You don’t want me to give you any special treatment?“

The deep blue eyes lit up.  
„Y-yeah. Just this.“

„Then let me assure you that I am not. I am treating all my customers equally.“

The boy at the table spun his pencil around between his fingers. His face gave away that he was looking for words again.  
„Uhm, okay?“ An unsettled frown washed over his forehead.  
„Good. Scrap what I just said. I might want special treatment after all.“

Ignis was confused. His words did not make any sense and he couldn’t see where this conversation was going. He pulled his brows together in a questioning line, tilting his head just slightly and gestured Noctis into going on.

„Could you maybe... just—not _care_ about me then?“

Ignis felt his mouth dropping. What on Eos exactly was he talking about? Noctis tried to continue his twisted explanation.

„Like, you... don’t need to look after me all the time? If everything’s alright and stuff? I will tell you when something’s up, so just... don’t give me too much attention?“

Still confused Ignis tried to pin down what Noctis was trying to ask him.  
„I am not sure if I can quite grasp what you are saying. Do you mean that you would like to have some privacy?“ He might have been staring too much after all. _Mind your manners Ignis._

Noctis grimaced.  
„Nah, this is not exactly it... but I guess it’s close? Argh! Sorry, I don’t think I’m that good with words“, he added, kneading his shoulder.

„It is fine“, Ignis assured. He did not know how he was expected to behave around Noctis, but giving him his privacy was certainly a thing he was capable of. „Just let me know when you need anything then.“

Ignis reached for his book again and started searching for the page he had abandoned before. As he found it, he leaned onto the shelves behind him, reading on, coffee in one hand and book in the other. For a while the room turned silent again, the only sounds to fill the room were the music and the soft scraping of graphite on paper. Occasionally Noctis would make low humming sounds, seeming discontent about something. But Ignis decided to ignore it, as he had been asked to. Or at least as far as he had understood. The privacy thing started making sense. This was the reason why he had insisted on dropping a formal appellation in first place. Which then was somehow a contradiction in itself though. Titles existed to maintain a certain distance.  
At the point where the book started to explain aspects about colour arrangements and food flavours, Noctis distracted him again.

„Sorry Ignis, can I ask you for help?“

Ignis put down his book and arched a questioning eyebrow. So much for wanting privacy. This felt a little like being tossed around. He set down his empty cup into the sink and rounded the counter, getting closer to Noctis‘ table.

„What can I do for you?“

„So, I was thinking about different stuff you know, and I was curious if–“   
Noctis broke off mid-sentence, tilting his head back to face Ignis, who was standing next to him in anticipation. „Uhm. Would you mind... sitting down? This standing-next-to-me-while-I’m-sitting stuff somehow feels uncomfortable. It’s feels like I’m being watched.“ Noctis gestured towards the chair on the opposite side of the table.

Ignis huffed out a short breath. Somehow this person was starting to annoy him. But he sat down, calm and composed, resting his arms on the table and looking at Noctis with a strong gaze.

„Is... everything okay?“ Noctis seemed a bit lost and his nose crinkled with worry.

The young barkeeper pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply.  
„It is quite alright. I am just trying to figure out what exactly you want of me. Frankly spoken, it is kind of irritating.“ Ignis didn’t care right now if his words sounded harsh.

„Oh, uhm...“ Noctis slowly turned the pencil petween his fingers. Then he sighed guiltily.  
„Can I just... talk to you? Like, normally? No flattery and things? I’m sorry I probably don’t make much sense. Argh, damn it.“

He really sounded a bit like Prompto, Ignis realised. But at least he could understand what the person in front of him was saying right now.  
„To be honest, yes. You are not making much sense to me right now, but I trust you to make me understand at some later point. As for conversation I don’t know if I am the appropriate person to talk to but feel free to have a chat whenever you like.“

There was a hint of relief in Noctis‘ eyes, as he looked up to his taller opposite behind his fringe. The hint of a smile flashed across his mouth.  
„Okay, cool. Thanks, Ignis.“

Ignis took off his glasses and ran a hand over his face before he put them back on again. He took another deep breath and then directed his speech towards Noctis again, who was still crouched a little on his seat.  
„Well then, what was it you wanted to ask?“

Noctis shot him an apologetic look, before he tried to switch gears.  
„Okay. Uhm, look, can I ask your opinion on some of the stuff here? Just any frank comment, no need to overthink this.“ He turned around his sketchbook so that Ignis could see it better. „I er—usually don’t get that much... feedback on the stuff I’m doing? And I was just curious what other people might think of it.“ He pushed the book across the table. „You can turn the pages too, if you want.“

Ignis lowered his eyes onto the paper to take a closer look. Streaks of graphite in various strength were running over the page, swirling and entangling in themselves, casually having a blossom bloom at their ends. Next to the frame pattern was a more detailed sketch of the same flower Noctis had pinned to the lines. It was all well balanced and just the right amount of stylisation. Fascinated Ignis flipped over the page. On the next one there were letters in various shapes and detailed decorations. Some of them might work for covers of a book or tin boxes with sweets, others looked delicate and almost royal. Noctis had put blue ink onto some of them to make their individual features stand out better. Ignis could imagine how they would look like in composition, words in black, blue and a hint of gold.  
He looked up to see Noctis stare at him in anticipation.  
„You seem to be very skilled to me, Noctis. To be honest, I already noticed the little scribblings of yours on your napkin yesterday and wanted to ask you about it. It is an astonishing talent you have there. I hope you don’t mind me asking but have you considered doing this for a living? You surely would be quite successful.“

As Ignis was speaking, Noctis had started to smile awkwardly, his eyes jumping from the sketches to Ignis‘ face over to somewhere else.  
„A-actually, I’m working as a... sort of designer kind of guy, I guess? So... I sometimes do stuff like this on order? But these here are nothing like it. I just... draw them at random, from time to time.“

Ignis looked at him with wondering eyes.  
„Ah. So you already are committed to this field of work. No wonder then the drawings are well balanced and very aesthetical if I may add. At least to me they are very appealing. It would have been a shame to let potential like yours go to waste as mere hobby.“  
Noctis looked flustered and slightly uncomfortable, shifting on his chair. Ignis was suddenly concerned that he might have overstepped a line.  
„I ah... did not mean to intrude myself into your private space. But you wanted my opinion, didn’t you?“

Noctis waved a hand sheepishly.  
„No sweat, really. It’s just... I am not used to straight compliments about the things I draw. I mean, I get credit for what I do, but not like this... Oh, but—you don’t feel _pressured_ to say anything nice to me, right?“ His voice was lightly tinted with worry. „I can count on you being honest with me?“

„I believe you asked me for a ‚frank comment‘, so I do not see the necessity for me to possibly be lying to you. Besides, wasn’t it you who requested me to stop any sorts of flattery anyway?“, Ignis answered puzzled. „I am being as honest with as I will ever be.“

„Yeah, right“, Noctis mumbled, still thrown off balance by the unveiled compliment. „Sorry, I guess I’m just... talking too much.“  
He took back the sketchbook Ignis was handing him over again.  
„You know, sometimes you lose the grip of reality when people around you always compliment you for things. Like, even if you know they are not good. Or that you could do better. And then, tehre are others. They take this stuff for granted, they see it as normal and only complain if it’s not living up to the expected standard. I guess... I just needed someone unbiased to tell me, so I could really believe. Regain some focus.“  
He stroked softly over the leather wrapping of the book.  
„Thanks.“

Studying him like that, Ignis thought he looked nothing more than any other ordinary man at his age, struggling with his issues and doubting himself. It added an incredibly human facette to him, made him seem more vulnerable. And it took quite something to show one’s vulnerability, Ignis would know. He barely opened up to anyone himself. The fact, that Noctis just had though, made something warm rise in Ignis‘ chest. He didn’t want to interpret too much into this, but he cherished this feeling of being trusted by a person he barely knew. A very unreadable and irritating yet fascinating person.

Ignis rose from his chair with a soft chuckle.  
„Well, if there is anything else you’d like to ask my opinion on, I suggest you not to hesitate and ask away the moment you feel like it. I don’t know how much of an advice I can provide, but I can assure you that it will always be an honest one.“

„Sounds cool“, Noctis returned with a wry smile. „I might be needing _quite_ some advice.“

„Good. I’m sure you don’t mind me charging you a little extra for counseling services then?“, Ignis found himself joking in return.

„Fine by me. I’ve always been searching for a chance to buy myself some good pep talk“, Noctis countered. „ _I’m_ not the one with the money issues anyway.“

„Touché I guess.“   
Ignis‘ mouth had widened in an amused smirk, while Noctis was chuckling under a flashing smile. „Wow, this finally feels like a normal conversation“, he remarked, running his fingers through the black silky hair.

„I finally find it to be rather enjoyable as well“, Ignis affirmed.

It was weird. All of a sudden the stiffness and tension had vanished into thin air. Looking at how they were talking now, it almost seemed ridiculous how they had behaved around each other only minutes ago. It felt just easy and comfortable. Noctis was probably the least noble nobleman Ignis had ever seen. But at least he seemed to be aware of this and even _intended_ to be that way. This much had become clear. So no need for pleasantry or false stiltedness. Good.

Smiling contentedly to themselves, Noctis opened a new page in his book and restarted scribbling while Ignis was taking out the ingredients for a larger serving of desserts. He had promised Prompto to bring some over to Mrs. Elshett and her children today. After a short inspection of the supplies he decided on filling the greater part with the apple-cinnamon custard. The children would love it no doubt. The berry filling would be something for the older ones then. And Prompto and Mrs. Elshett. And...  
 _Ah._  
Ignis reminded himself to put a set aside for later.

It was curiously quiet around the bar today. Nobody seemed to be interested in lunch and so the place stayed vacant – except for Ignis and Noctis that was. While Ignis was busying himself with another baking tray of pastries – one already in the oven and emitting a sweet sugary smell – Noctis had come over to the counter to bring back his emptied plate.  
„Ah, thank you kindly“, Ignis said without lifting his head, concentrating on filling in the appropriate amount of custard into the dough.  
„No problem“, Noctis replied, curiously watching Ignis‘ hands hover over the uncooked pastries. He sat down on one of the stools, propping up his elbows. He closed his eyes, taking in the sweet scent.

„Having time to spend today as it seems, Noctis? No duties on schedule today?“, Ignis asked, eyes peering over the rim of his spectacles shortly, before looking down again.

„Mmmh. Have to be home for dinner tonight, but nothing else.“ Noctis opened his eyes and rested his head on his crossed arms over the counter. „Actually I was planning on staying here a bit longer. It’s nice and I get a clear head for drawing stuff. If—if that’s okay with you“ he added quickly.  
Ignis swiped his hair out of his face with the back of his hand.  
„It is not that I would object. But I must remind you that I will have to throw you out at closing time.“

Noctis pouted. It was not the kind of overexaggerated pout Prompto used to show but it was still noticeable in the corners of his mouth. The bartender shook his head minutely, a helpless sigh escaping his throat.  
„Noctis, it is not about not wanting to have you here but if you believe it or not: bars do have closing times and so has mine. Besides I have an appointment myself in the afternoon hours so I need to leave here as well. I count on you to understand.“

„Yeah, sure“, he answered lazily. Ignis could hear faint dissapointment reverberating in his voice. After a short moment of silence, Noctis spoke up again.  
„Where are you going? Something to do with the pastries?“, he asked flicking his chin towards the baking sheet.

„Now, aren’t we curious“, Ignis returned before he paused his working hands on his hip, facing Noctis in defiant posture. „Indeed it has. I have business at the local orphanage with these. A friend of mine is... affiliated to it and told me they’d be having a festival today.“

Noctis let out an acknowledging hum.  
„I bet the kids will love it. I totally would.“

„I bet you would. Which reminds me.“ Ignis dusted down the remains of powdery sugar off his hands before he made for the storage room in the back. Noctis eyes were following him curiously, his head still resting on both his arms. The tall man came back with a sheet of plain wrapping paper in his hands. He spread it on the worktop before he turned his attention to the oven. When he opened it, the sweet smell of fresh pastry puffed out and its intensity built up all over the room in an instant. Ignis took out the baking tray filled with mouthfulls of flaky sweets and put it down onto the outer corner of the counter to cool.

„Aaah! Ignis, this is torture“, Noctis groaned, burying his face between his elbows. 

„You could have ordered a second set. I wouldn’t have minded assembling another one, though right now I am afraid the time would not suffice. You will have to endure for now“, Ignis countered smugly, while he pushed the second tray into the oven. Fifteen minutes should be enough, bearing in mind the oven had been running hot for some time in advance already. He glanced at the clock on the wall.

„Noctis, you might want to start gathering together your art supplies slowly, or I might really have to throw you out. I will leave here shortly after the second tray has cooled out and I changed my clothes. The clock is not far from striking three.“

„Man, you’re no fun“, Noctis growled, slowly gathering his limbs and lifting himself off the stool.

„This is not about being fun but about being punctual.“

„Yeah, I know. Always have to be, never am.“  
With a sigh and slighty slagging shoulders, he moved over to his table and started tucking away his pens and pencils. The hint of dreariness lingering in the tone of his voice hadn’t escaped Ignis. He watched Noctis‘ back, a little crouched and heavy from obligation. This was when he wondered, what his usual life might be like. He almost didn’t know anything about the boy clad in classy blacks – and how could he? They had barely started getting to know each other. Maybe he would never tell him, as he was after privacy when coming to his place after all. But Ignis felt a sting of guilt for pulling down Noctis‘ mood. And something close to compassion.  
He thought for a moment before he replied.

„Well, this is something to be practised then I guess? You have to be in control of your actions after all, or else you might lose track. Let me assist you there, if you will?“

Noctis turned around to face Ignis with annoyance dripping from his face. „Really? I thought we already agreed on the ‚not caring too much‘ part.“

Ignis pursed his lips into a twisted smile.  
„Well, I actually thought we might take my office hours as matter of practise. How about you try to get here just on time when I open up for noon tomorrow? Ah, if it fits your schedule that is.“

Noctis had flung his bag over his shoulder, casually holding up its strap with one hand. His grumpy face had softened a bit. „I guess... I can make it fit?“ He shrugged.

„There is no need to rush things. Just try to time your arrival the next time you are planning to get here.“

„What is this? Some kind of disciplinary measure? I usually get enough of those you know. People at home are already trying to torture me into this.“

Ignis hummed. „Think of it... as a game then, would you?“

Noctis‘ face started to light up again.  
„Well, if it’s a game, then what‘s the reward if I win?“, he asked jokingly, stepping closer to the corner of the counter.

The man behind the bar chuckled.  
„I can... imagine a reward of some sort?“, he returned amused, directing a suggestive look at the tray of desserts.  
This brought back a faint grin onto Noctis‘ lips.  
„So, are you up to the challenge?“, Ignis asked.

„Deal.“

„Very well then.“  
It had not taken much to bring him down, but his mood could be lifted just as easily. Ignis took a mental memo of this. It might come in handy someday.

Noctis corrected the strap of his bag, watching Ignis take out the second tray of sweets.  
„Hey, how are you planning to get all of those over to that place anyways? Is it far from here?“

Frowning as if he had not quite understood the question, Ignis replied: „Well, I am quite obviously going to carry them.“

„Woah.“ Noctis scratched his hair, his gaze hovering over the two trays.  
„Are you sure you don’t need any help?“

„Ah. Thank you Noctis, but I am quite sure I can manage on my own. Those trays are stackable, so carrying is not as troublesome as it might look right now. I appreciate your will to help but I will be fine.“

Noctis shrugged. „Okay, if you say so. I’ll make tracks then.“

„Just a moment.“ Ignis turned to hand over a small package. Noctis recognised it to be the wrapping paper Ignis had gotten from the room in the back earlier. He frowned at the triumphant green eyes before him.  
„For me?“ Noctis awkwardly gestured towards himself. Ignis only shoved the package closer to him, tilting his head and pursing his lips mockingly. „Er—okay? Thanks?“  
Noctis clearly didn’t have a clue what might be in there. His puzzled stare towards Ignis told as much.

Ignis rested a hand on his hip, the other arm hanging loosely behind him.  
„I don’t know if you remember but you asked me about some kind of take-away, as I recall it. I thought I might try if it works out.“ He nodded contentedly.  
Noctis‘ eyes widened and his lips parted in astonishment. He switched between looking at the package, then at Ignis and back in disbelief. „No way. You mean—“  
He lifted up it up to his face and despite the room being filled with the flavour of freshly baked dough, Noctis could fairly well make out the buttery scent of the flaky pastry from inside.

„Consider it a gift, yes? A small token of gratitude for having you here.“

Noctis sheepishly looked down to his feet. It was obvious that he was baffled by this apparently unexpected gesture. At least to Ignis it was. Also Noctis couldn’t hide the joy sprouting on his face, quickly covering his cheeks in dots of pink. Something about this reaction spoke of embarrassment too but Ignis didn’t give this too much credit.  
He had to admit that this sight was somewhat endearing.

„I, er—wow. Your memory sure is crazy“, Noctis muttered.  
He winced as Ignis clapped his hands loudly. Twice. The sound seemed to ground him again and his head snapped up to meet Ignis‘ smirk – something inbetween triumphant and gloating.

„Now then, enough spacing out. Off you go.“

Noctis avoided his gaze.  
„Y-yeah. I’ll be on my way. See you soon then. And... thanks.“ The last words were almost inaudible, but the lanky barman still caught them crystal clear.  
Waving in greeting as Noctis closed the door, he thought about how he might want to take on another challenge of his own.

He wondered what it took to produce that bewildered expression on Noctis‘ face again, his thoughts lingering a hint too long on the picture in his mind. As he caught himself plotting on possible scenarios, Ignis forced his mind to shut down. It was neither fair nor proper, even if the mere thought of it made the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. He would have to keep himself in check to not get hyperaware and overly conscious about Noctis and his reactions.  
Ignis was convinced that keeping his thinking rational would help him stay focused.

At least for now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis stands up early and assignments are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not: I finally managed to get something like a plot starting orz

Noctis jumped at the shrilling sound of his alarm clock next to his ear. Mind all foggy and something hammering heavily in the back of his head he clumsily grabbled around to silence the cause of his misery. When his hand finally found the mechanism to stop the bells from ringing, he sat up on his bed, feet crossing and still half entangled in the sheets. He rubbed his heavy-lidded eyes with the heel of his hand, before scratching the back of his head and turning it to look out of the window. The morning sun painted the sky in pastel blues and violets and beams of gold from the rising sun could be seen through cotton candy clouds.  
Noctis sat there a while in apathy and just stared, hands limp at his sides, lids drooping and his mouth hanging open the slightest bit. If anyone saw him now, they would probably think of him as being a complete retard. A big yawn escaped from the depths of his throat and he finally flung his arms up to stretch his back. For a moment he was considering to let himself just flop back onto his fluffy pillow and doze off for another two hours. He was really tempted.

_Nah. Can’t let that happen. I already put too much effort into this._

With a groan and one of the greatest efforts Noctis must have done ever in this life (or at least he felt as if) he rolled out of his bed, landing on the floor on his butt. He sighed, annoyed by the time of the day, by having to leave his bed and by having landed on the floor. He rubbed his back and heaved himself up.

Four damn times.  
Today counted in he had already stood up early four times in a row. And it hadn’t paid off at all. It slowly started to become frustrating. The only thing that had happened was the shadows under his eyes growing more prominent. And still he didn’t get a few spare hours for himself the last days. He had tried to start on work early in the morning, so he could make some time throughout the day. Time he could spend how he would like to. Time to stop by Ignis‘ bar, getting there on time and therefore getting treats for free. Noctis would brag about it and rub the man’s slender nose in the fact that he definitely _could_ be punctual. If he wanted to. He just didn’t always want to. He would smirk at the green eyes closing in defeat and the sigh before Ignis would compliment him on his effort would be his victory fanfare.

But he had not been able to. Three times already. And he would be mad if this day turned out to be the fourth.  
The meetings that had been delayed a few days ago had all been rescheduled and crammed into this week. Small talk chasing business talk and serious discussions about what sort of paper would fit the labels for the new collection best and how it should be advertised. The start of a new season was always this. Busy and full of talks. Ah, how he hated it. Noctis preferred thinking things out one after another, just at his own pace. Not under pressure. Not talking more than was necessary of comfortable. But this wouldn’t work, especially not now and he knew. He wondered how his father could keep up with all this business. But then again he didn’t want to know. It reminded him of having to do all of this himself sometime in the future.

Noctis ruffled his hair with both of his hands, as if to discard the annoying thoughts. And his sleepiness above all that.  
Today’s appointments wouldn’t start until nine, so he didn’t have to worry about having to get dressed right away. No guests to please. His sleeping shirt and wide shorts would do for breakfast. Maylin would probably flush red in an instant, but that was not his business. He’d just ask her to prepare the clothes for him to wear later, so she had something to busy her mind with and not be awkward around him.  
As Noctis stepped out of his room and made for the stairs down, a familiar voice spoke up from behind him in a singsong.

„Aah, well, well, if it isn’t our dear Noctis. What brings _you_ forth at this time of the day? And the fourth time in a row it is too. I am glad to see that miracles do exist.“

Noctis spun around. Some steps away there stood a tall man, smirking mockingly at him under an amber glare, hidden behind purplish-red strands of hair. His one hand was loosely settled on the handrail that was linking the gallery with the staircase.

„Ardyn.“

The tall man clapped his hands, their sound muffled by the black gloves he was wearing and his broad jacket sleeves rustling at the movement.  
„And you even remember my name. Now isn’t this a day to remember. Drinks all around!“ He gestured around in generous movements.

Noctis rolled his eyes away from the man’s face. He wouldn’t have thought to run into _him_ of all persons first in the morning.

„Argh, stop it, okay? I can get up whenever I feel like. And stop stalking me. It’s creepy.“

„Oh,but I assure you I’m not _stalking_ you. What a rude thing to say. It’s the attendants. They talk, you must know.“

Noctis helplessly gestured around with one hand, signaling him to just let it drop.  
He didn’t know why but he always felt weird around this man. He was more absent than present throughout the home or business rooms and so they had never seen or talked to each other for longer than a few hours. The first time they had met Noctis had actually been six already. Ardyn, his father’s older brother was so unlike Regis and very much of a mystery. He left Noctis uncomfortable, whenever they met or spoke to each other. It was nothing like hatred of any kind. More like an air of eeriness and secrets seeping out of him, repulsing Noctis and blocking out any possibility of kindness between them. Noctis once had wondered why, but he had stopped caring long ago. Ardyn’s person seemed to be some sort of spectre, haunting the family house, reaching out for its members with ghastly fingers . At least this was the image that had built up in Noctis mind.  
It gave him the creeps.

Noctis pursed his lips and shrugged, annoyed to be reminded of the gossip in the house and by the man in front of him, who was clearly taunting him. Just right after he got up. Drat.  
„I don’t care what they’re talking. It _is_ the fourth time, so what? I’m free to do what I want to.“

Ardyn theatrically raised his hands.  
„Oh, of course you are, Noctis. You are free, free as a bird. Free to go wherever you wish. Yet just as far as the bars of your golden cage let you.“

A snarl escaped between Noctis‘ clenched teeth. It was too early by far to be able to stand a conversation like that. What was Ardyn thinking to judge on his freedom? Noctis wouldn’t have any person that was not even close to him exert any sort of power on him. Let alone belittle his freedom. The freedom he had been searching and struggling for, and still was. And of all people it had to be Ardyn. His weird uncle who turned up only once in a while, still having a hand in the business but clearly being kept away as far as possible. Or maybe he had cast away himself from them on his own will. Noctis had never questioned the fact that his father had taken on the business even though he was only the second born. What if Ardyn had wanted freedom himself and somehow earned it? Thinking of this made Noctis even angrier. He didn’t want to get curious about getting to know a man whom he merely saw as a real pain in the neck.

„Bah! I am not talking to you anymore, leave me alone!“, he snapped as he whirled around and headed for the stairs.

„Ah, flight is futile my dear Noctis. You won’t be going far. We are bound to meet in one of the conferences again soon enough. The talks will start getting into serious business. I hope you are aware of this?“  
Ardyn playfully twisted one of his wine coloured locks and tucked it behind his ear.

„Like I care!“, Noctis hissed, taking two steps at a time to get down to the hall and away from this man faster.

„Watch your step! We don’t want you to trip and have the Nox Fleurets hasten over to patch a broken limb of yours back together. It would not be a favourable position for our negotiations if we start already indebted to them, don’t you think?“

The black haired boy threw his hands up into the air, shoulders tense. He was sure he looked ridiculous, walking around in his sleeping outfit. He wished he would have gotten dressed before. He would at least have had an impact when scowling. Now he must have looked like nothing more than an angry puppy.  
He had to get out of here. Out of the sight of this jeering man, who was his uncle, yet a very stranger.

Noctis slammed the door to the kitchen open, startling the maids that were bustling about. Their chatter fell silent immediately and all eyes were directed at the young master of the house, standing right there in nothing more noble than a pair of trunks and a wide shirt. But Noctis‘ agitation won over the spark of embarrassment, choking it before it could light up. He took a deep breath before he called out with a strong and firm voice.

„If anybody here sees Maylin, tell her to ready my outfit for today. Er—I might need two, so have a formal and a casual one ready. And please bring some breakfast over to the dining room for me.“

The maids exchanged a quick glance, before bowing quickly and getting to their assigned tasks. Noctis let out a discontented grunt. He couldn’t just bash his bad mood at others after all. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, running one hand through his hair. He shortly turned to the girl who was warming the milk for his breakfast cocoa, and quickly apologised for his behaviour.  
„Didn’t.. mean to do that. Sorry for getting worked up that early in the morning. Tell the other one, when she comes back, yeah? I try to keep myself together better next time.“  
The girl nodded shyly but didn’t reply anything.  
„Thanks. I’ll be over in the dining room then.“

Noctis had finished his breakfast in faster than a glimpse. He hadn‘t really been keen on having either his father reprimand him of his clothing attitude („Noctis, what if we have uninvited visitors coming over? I can’t have you sit here dressed like that, and I’m sure you know“) or even worse – have his creepy uncle bother him with more talk in that eery tone of his. Thinking of it alone made him shiver uncomforably. So he had stuffed two muffins into his mouth, washing them down with gulps of hot cocoa and had immediately left for his room afterwards. On his way up the stairs, his blue eyes flickered around nervously, only waiting to spot that wicked wine coloured head from before, but greatfully he was spared.  
Back in his room Noctis encountered Mayiln, who had just finished coordinating his clothing. He noticed how she went bright red ( _I just knew it._ ) when he walked in but he quickly dismissed her, thanking her for the work. Now he was just sitting on the floor, his legs stretched out and body propped up on his hands behind the back. His attention focused on the two chairs, where the maid had laid out her suggestion for Noctis‘ outfits.

On the left he had the formal version, for what he hoped to wear only until shortly before noon. A plain black bottom down shirt with a bluish necktie. Of course it had to be blue. Black and blue were sort of the family colours after all. Over it a black waistcoat with golden strands delicately woven into the tissue, matching with the seams of the trousers, which were buttoned up to reach just above the ankles.

On the right there was a more casual outfit. A steel coloured shirt under a fine leather vest (Noctis could already picture himself wearing it with rolled up sleeves and kind of liked the look) and sturdy yet slim fitting black trousers.  
He sighed. It would be troublesome to switch clothes more than once a day, but he’d manage somehow. As soon as he could free himself from the necktie, things would be going better. And he definitely _would_ make use of the casual outfit. He didn’t have the intention to let this day pass by to be the fourth failiure in a row. And when he was determined, Noctis felt like he could achieve anything.

This feeling vanished instantly when he entered his father’s office to attend the meeting. He had walked into the room, all dressed neatly (He had somehow managed to keep his clothes in order, only the tie hanging from his neck in a slightly peculiar angle. He had even thought of the Sylleblossom brooch he was asked to wear for official occasions.), only to meet two all too well known faces sitting in front of the round table with his father. One of them was ( _Please, why?!_ ) Ardyn, his lips hanging in his usual dubious smirk. The other one was a man much younger than his uncle or his father, yet quite some years older than himself. He had a very defined face and used to dress excentrically – not to mention his bleached silver hair, brushed up and away from his face. Dino was exactly what you would expect of a cliché designer. Noctis was glad he only had to get along well with him for work, because this was the only point where their opinions would match. Otherwise he had often found it difficult to cope with the bumptious character of his.

„Noctis, what a delight to see you here so soon. I thought we might have to wait for another hour until you show up here“, he was greeted by his uncle, his words not giving away that they already had met before that day.  
„Now, now Ardyn. My son is quite reliable, even if he might not look it“, Regis answered, sending a reassuring gaze and a hidden smile into Noctis‘ direction. He gestured towards the fourth chair and Noctis took a seat.  
„Your words honour me, father“, he rattled out half heartedly, shoving himself closer to the table. „Let’s just start so we can quickly get over this.“  
Dino tugged up the corner of his mouth into a weird smile. „Ohooo, rare enough to see you that eager. We might want to seize this moment as long as it lasts, gentlemen!“  
Regis chuckled but Noctis only rolled his eyes. „Yeah, whatever. Let’s get this done.“

The meeting went rather smoothly, even though there was a lot to be discussed. One central point was the upcoming negotiations with the Nox Fleuret siblings. It was yet unknown, what they specifically had in mind but it seemed to involve a kind of cooperation between their medical know-how and the products of Lucis Scents. Noctis didn’t know if he should be excited or sceptical about this but it seemed as his only choice was to wait for the talk. Another talk he would have to struggle through. And an important one as well.  
But this would have to wait till the day actually came. For now, the main problem was the promotional poster for the upcoming collection. While Ardyn was not really being useful with his remarks on how the hat of a model on a photo was looking like a dead rooster or how a certain font was looking like a fly had stepped into a pot of ink, Regis was busy trying to mediate between Noctis and Dino, who couldn’t find themselves to agree on a composition for the motif, strangely enough. When Dino thought about shooting a female model, Noctis couldn’t seem to back away from wanting a male model as face to the advertising campaign. They could not agree on outfits, ornaments or fonts, only on the fact that they wanted the poster to be in colour. Dino suggested to try out colour photography. This way they would not have to hire an additional artist to paint colour over a monochrome picture. Regis thought this might be worth a try for the coming spring or summer but nothing for an autumn release.

Noctis frequently glanced over at the clock on the wall, minutes and hours ticking by mercilessly.  
 _So I’m really not going to make it today either or what...?_  
He inhaled sharply and let out the air in a short and controlled huff. He stopped the conversation between Ardyn and Dino, who were arguing about whether Hyacinths rather symbolise „play“ or „sincerity“ and started talking, backing his forehead against the palm of his hand.  
„Hey, this is not getting us anywhere. We still keep talking about pointless details, when we don’t even have a base cut out.“ He sighed, annoyed by having to be the rational one and taking responsibility in business matters. „Look, I can just start sketching different stuff together from what we just talked about and we meet up again to discuss those. It’s probably better to see different compositions of pictures and frames in direct comparison than to talk about things that aren’t there.“

„But Noctis, this is inacceptable!“, Dino disagreed. „How do you think are we going to finish the photoshooting in time? We have to book everything in advance, and how can we be so sure one of your drafts to be _the one_? Not offending your skills in design there. You know, I usually like what you do.“

Noctis groaned. This pointless discussions seemed to go on forever.  
„Fine then!“, he snapped. „If booking all the stuff is too troublesome I’ll just draw the poster all by myself. I _can_ do more than just sketching out layouts and designing fonts and patterns, just in case you have forgotten. I’ll have three completely detailled drawings ready and we just decide on one of those for me to completely finish. I’ll even take the resposibility if it’s not turning out well, if I have to. But all this pointless chatter has me sick.“

There was a moment of silence when he had finished. Suddenly unsure, if he had overreacted with his outburst, Noctis lifted his head to look at the faces of the other men.  
Dino was staring at him, his mouth slightly hanging open in surprise as if he couldn’t believe that Noctis was actually about to decide what to do all on his own. Noctis was not that brisk usually. His father Regis had widened his eyes in suprise too but something in his look seemed to speak of pride. It was probably the responsibility part that had resonated with something inside him. And then there was Ardyn, his amber eyes gleaming with something between eager anticipation and the glare of a predator. He clicked with his tongue in delight and gave a raspy laugh.  
„Now _this_ is something I’d like to see“, he hissed teasingly.

„Gentlemen, we might have a solution“, Dino agreed after he had freed himself from his paralysis and smacked his palms onto his thighs.  
„Very well then.“ Regis closed his eyes and nodded slowly. „Noctis, will you really be able to do this?“

Noctis gulped almost audibly. Now he had gotten himself into a mess, just because he had wanted to end the meeting quickly. He definitely could draw and paint. Not only patterns, but also people. He just feared that he might not come up with any ideas matching the image of the scent collection. It had to be appealing to a lot of people. It’s not that Noctis wasn’t able to come up with compositions, but now he had to make up everything from scratch. This also meant starting over from zero if things didn’t fit. No model to position differently, just to see if it fits better. No rearranging of decorative elements until the shot was perfect. It was all depending on his head and the ability to bring it to paper.  
But he had said it. And going back on a word was not an option here. Especially not in front of his father, let alone _Ardyn_.

„Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll come up with something good.“

„You have a maximum of two weeks, you know?“ His father seemed a little concerned but not less encouraging.

„Don’t worry. I got this“, Noctis answered, pursing his lips and nodding to strengthen his determination.

„Then it is set“, Ardyn purred, swinging himself up from his chair, the other men following his example shortly afterwards.  
After a few more words and checkups on the schedules, the meeting that never seemed to end was suddenly over. Dino had hastened out of the office, while Regis took his place behind the writing desk, to check on the daily newspaper and the mail piling up.  
Noctis had checked on the clock once more, only to see that it was not yet noon. He might even make it in time. A spark of hope flickered up somewhere inside him and he made his way out of the office with a quick pace. He had just walked out of his father’s office door, when Ardyn rushed past him in a flurry, only to stop right in front of him.

„What now?“, Noctis scowled at the tall man, who only chuckled in response.

„Don’t you think I didn’t notice you staring at the clock throughout the meeting, Noctis. Are we headed somewhere?“

„No, _we_ are not going anywhere. _I_ ‘m heading out to start on the assignment.“

„Aah, is that so? How disappointing. It would be so much more interesting if you were planning on meeting someone you fancy. Imagine all the gossip! You might even make it into the newspapers.“

Noctis grimaced. Out of the blue his body decided to put a faint flush onto his cheeks. He couldn’t even find a reason why and was really pissed about it.  
„Well sorry to disappoint you but I’m not. And I hate being the subject of any news. Now get off my back and let me prepare for work.“   
_I don’t want to be late_.  
He had almost said out loud the last part, but could stop himself from doing so just in time. Ardyn would definitely have picked up on this, if he had.

„Oh, what a responsible young man you have become. Honouring work and family name, your father must be so proud.“ Ardyn’s voice had an edge to it that sent a chill down his spine. „And again I am denied to see a freshly blooming scandal. What a shame. _Please_ be sure to tell me, when you’re about to start one, yes?“

„This none of your business. And I’m not that much of a scandal as you’d like me to be. I have to go now.“ Noctis just wanted to get away. Every second ticking by drove him further away from his treat.

„Don’t worry“, Ardyn assured in his usual singsong. „You are subject to more talks than you actually know, so it is just a matter of time.“ Ardyn took a theatrical bow. „Farewell then, Noctis. Until we meet again soon.“

„I hope it’s not too soon“, Noctis muttered, before he disappeared into his room.

Back in his safe surroundings Noctis started to strip off his formal garb and jumped right into the more comfortable set of clothes. As he thought, rolling up the sleeves had been a good idea. He might like this pretty much actually.  
He snatched his bag from somewhere behind his bed and took a look at his pocket watch.  
 _I can still make it._  
Noctis decided to not care about anything for the moment. Not his weird uncle who was maybe waiting outside to fire another comment at him, nor the assignment, which should actually weigh quite heavily on his shoulders, regarding the responsibility he had charged himself with.  
He wanted to win the game.

Noctis let the watch slip into the pocket of his vest and dashed out of his room. His mind was already one step ahead, imagining the sweet smell of butter and jam in the air and a pair of lime coloured eyes, softly crinkling in appreciation behind a pair of golden frames. 

Today was the day his effort would pay off. Finally.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis draws.

Noctis was glad to have changed clothes before. He would not have been able to pull through running in waistcoat and necktie without constantly feeling strangled. And not even to mention the Oxfords. His feet would have totally killed him.  
He managed to jump onto one of the trams that were directed towards the outer ring, curiously eyed by some other passengers. The inner ring was quite different from the outer one. Noctis had to watch his actions, because here, he might be recognised any time. If he really ended up in a dubious newspaper article, his father would be not very pleased. And with Ardyn’s words of scandal and things echoing up in his head, Noctis decided to definietly behave cautiously. That wouldn’t happen. He quickly brushed his bangs deeper into his face and faced the big window on the back of the tram wagon, to avoid meeting the eyes of somebody who might know him.

It was a fast ride to the inner wall, wheels sliding smoothly over the iron rails. The streets were not too loaded with vehicles, most of the people were still at work and not yet having their lunch break. The tram arrived at thegate station and Noctis jumped out of the wagon immediately, his eyes glued to the big clock outside.  
Not yet noon. Close to it, but not yet.  
He decided to skip on waiting for the connecting tram and started running again instead. He hadn’t been moving a lot lately so after a short time his breath grew into gasps, partially due to the strap of his bag dangling around his chest.

Noctis stopped for a moment, both hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.  
_Dammit. And this is what makes them belittle me all the time. That I can’t even keep my word._  
He swallowed hard before he stood again and pinned his eyes strictly to the street. This was ridiculous. _He_ was ridiculous. He would not prove anything to anyone with all this. Not like anyone would know. Even if he was to arrive on time at the Libra, it was not as if this would make any difference to anyone. It would simply appear as exception to the rule, not mentioning the trivial reason behind it. And who actually cared if he was not there at opening time? It was not about getting free food anyways, he could just _buy_ anything he liked. At least it was what he was expected to do and nobody would care.

_Would Ignis?_

Noctis took another deep breath to calm down his body and mind.This was not about proving anything to others. It hadn’t been from the start. It was about building up an existence on his own, a place where he could freely decide who he wanted to be. This was about proving himself. That he could very well decide who he wanted to be.  
The bar was this sort of place, where he was nothing more but just Noctis. The young man Noctis, born into a wealthy family and escaping from his duties. Noctis who would sometimes draw and ask for advice and Noctis who had a particular weakness for Tenebraean pastry. There he was just the Noctis that was reflecting in Ignis‘ eyes and nothing more.  
And he didn’t want that Noctis to be someone unreliable.  
Right. This had been the reason.

When Noctis was running up the street the clock was just striking for the twelveth time. A few meters away, he could see the lanky man with his usual combed down sandy hair, leaning casually at the frame of the entrance. Noctis wanted to call out but his burning lungs wouldn’t let him. The man had already turned to step inside again when he scrambled to the door and reached out for the back of his shirt with his hand. Clearly startled he spun around only to see Noctis in a crouch before him, panting heavily.

Noctis raised his free hand only to let it drop on his knee again. Still catching his breath he lifted his head to meet Ignis‘ eyes, which jumped between him and their surroundings in flustered concern.  
„Hey... I—Ignis, I... I still made it, right?“, Noctis gasped his lungs only starting to let some oxygen back in again.  
„Noctis! I, ah. Are you alright? Come here. Please sit down, I—I will get you some water.“

Ignis cautiously lead Noctis inside with one hand between his shoulderblades and the other held out just in case Noctis might trip. When Noctis sat down, the other man got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, all without letting him escape from his view. He came back and placed the full glass on the table, carefully shoving it into Noctis‘ hand.  
Noctis nodded thankingly and downed it in one go. The cool liquid seemed to tone down the sharp burning in his throat and he gasped in relief as he lowered the emptied glass from his lips.

„Do you need some more? Are you alright?“  
Ignis had placed one hand on Noctis shoulder to keep him steady and was watching him intensely with eyes alert. Noctis was still breathing heavily but the desperate gasping for air had subsided.

„Nah, I—I’m fine. S-sorry for... making you worry“, Noctis managed, waving his hand. After a few more breaths he spun his head around to look at the clock. The hands showed shortly past twelve. He turned back to Ignis, who had still kept his hand put on Noctis‘ shoulder and gave him a half questioning and half worrying look.  
A deep breath later Noctis was able to speak normally again.

„Did I make it?“

Ignis minutely shook his head and deepened his frown.  
„Make it for what?“

Noctis took Ignis‘ hand by the wrist and pinned it onto to table in front of them, while he was standing up to lean over under the clattering of his chair.  
„Did I make it in time?“

Some moments passed before the pieces clicked together and understanding seeped in. The young bartender’s eyes widened in disbelief. He pulled out his hand under Noctis‘ to readjust his glasses before he spoke up slowly.  
„Noctis, are you really trying to tell me that you ran to the verge of collapsing just for a set of sweets?“

Noctis pressed his lips into a thin line and with an intense stare he slowly shook his head.  
„Ignis. _Did I make it in time_?“

He seemed to have swept his opposite off balance because he didn’t answer immediately. Instead Ignis cautiously glanced at the clock and back to Noctis, who was still bending over the table in his direction and directing a firm look at him.  
„I, ah... I think I could let it count.“

„So I kept my word?“ Noctis eyes were locked on Ignis‘ face. The lanky man blinked fast and inclined his head.

„Yes, you did.“

Suddenly all of the tension and stress that had built up in Noctis‘ body when running had vanished. He let out a sigh of relief, his face instantly softening into an exhausted smile.  
„Damn, yes“, he breathed as he let himself fall back onto the chair again, closing his eyes, still smiling. So he had won. He had won against himself and could prove himself to stick to his words. Ignis had just confirmed it. He had acknowledged it.  
_Just great._

The tense air seemed to fall off Ignis‘ shoulders as well as he relaxed and crossed his arms, still looking at Noctis.  
„Honestly, I was not expecting you to behave reckless when I suggested you’d try to be on time for the bar’s opening. Maybe I should have thought this through in advance.“ After a short moment he added: „Are you really trying that hard for something as ordinary as my humble baking?“

Noctis shook his head. He somehow knew Ignis would ask. But not to belittle him, he was quite sure. This man was only trying to understand him, and for this it was okay to ask. Of course he’d be confused. Noctis would be too, probably. He shook his head.  
„This is not it, not really. I mean—yes, I was looking forward to your pastries? I mean, why wouldn’t I? They’re amazing.“

„Hm.“ Ignis let out a pensive hum. „I must admit I was afraid to have driven you away by teasing you too much. But this was not the case then?“

Noctis huffed out a laugh.  
„Not at all. Work got me busy and didn’t leave me any opportunity to get here the last days. I had planned to come, you know? I told you I would. I even stood up early the past days to get my work done earlier, believe it or not. But, yeah. Somehow the assignments were still piling up. Can you imagine how frustrating that was? And I’m not really what you’d call an early bird, you know?“

Ignis‘ face softened, his eyes still carrying a notion of guilt. He managed a small grin. „I can very well imagine.“ His hand flew up to slide his glasses up the bridge of his nose again. „Yet, I did not mean to pressure you with this in any way. I was reproaching myself, wondering if I might have hurt you with my words when you did not show up here anymore. But you assure me this is not the case?“

„Nah. I’m good, really. No need to worry about me. And sorry to keep you waiting, I guess? I really tried. And... huh. I was kind of worrying, if I was really being that unreliable. Like, I wouldn’t want you to think of me as somebody who breaks his word.“ Somehow the last sentence felt oddly cheesy and it sent Noctis searching for words in embarrassment.  
„What I mean is—er, well. I guess I wanted to prove this to myself. I want to be someone you can rely on. Like, not _you_ but—just, just in general. And... and I really wanted that pastry. And to prove you wrong, so I could just feel cool once in a while I guess, haha.“  
_Wow. Talk about being awkward._

Ignis snorted, savouring the words he had been offered.  
„I don’t know what you might think of me Noctis, but I never questioned your reliability. Every person has... let’s say _characteristics_ that are worth improving. For you, it certainly appears to be punctuality but I never doubted you to be true to your word. Just in case this reassures you.“ He ran one hand through his sand brown hair before he let out a sigh. „Well, well. This took some unexpected turn. I hope you won’t be stressing yourself out that much from now on. Bear in mind that pushing yourself too hard worries people around you. Now, let’s get your trophy ready, shall we?“

The lanky man pulled away from the table and turned around to fetch his apron he hadn’t put on yet. _I doubt there is anyone worrying about such a thing, except for you_ , Noctis thought but he did not feel sad about it. Because he knew that here, in this place where he was _only Noctis_ there was someone who cared. Who didn’t judge but just cared.  
Noctis smiled sheepishly and started taking out his sketching materials from the bag he had dropped on the floor next to him.  
„Hey, Ignis!“ The glasses behind the counter flashed up as his head snapped up in Noctis‘ direction.

„Yes?“

„I have quite a big assignment on schedule, so... I’ll stick around for today, working here if you don’t mind?“

„No, I don’t? But I must remind you of“

„the closing hours. Yeah. Got it. Don’t worry.“

The man behind the bar chuckled.  
„Very well then. Make yourself comfortable and feel at home.“

And this was what he did. Noctis slipped out of his pair of shoes, tugging up one leg on his chair and started drawing. He had thought through stuff already durig the discussion with the three older men, but nevertheless he decided to warm up with usual swirls and patterns, shifting to people and postures after a while. Still something seemed off with the sketches.  
When Ignis came over to serve the fresh baked pastries, he curiously glanced over what Noctis had drawn.  
„Oh. Your assignment includes drawing people this time?“, he asked lightly as he put the cutlery next to the plate. Noctis looked up and nodded thankfully.  
„Yeah. It’s been a little while since I didn’t draw people anymore, so I feel a bit rusty. Can’t seem to get into the flow“, he replied. „What do you think?“

Ignis tilted his head, rubbing his chin pensively as he had a closer look at the sketches.  
„Hmm, I’d say it’s quite good already, but it feels as if something is missing.“  
Noctis cut a piece off one pastry with the fork and put it in his mouth with a frustrated grunt.  
„Feelf like fhat to me too.“

„I think the dynamics are off somehow“, Ignis added. „I don’t know how you create dynamics in a drawing, let alone the function of human anatomy but what about drawing with references?“, he suggested. „You should be able to see a lot of people walking around outside from here, so why not give it a try?“

Noctis stared at his sketches, nodding with the fork between his teeth. „Sounds good. I’ll try it.“

„Don’t hesitate to show me. I’ll be right over there“, Ignis said, before he went back to his cup of coffee and another book on his counter. It seemed to be a different one from before, Noctis remarked. But the title was too small to make it out from his seat, so he concentrated on his tasks again.  
Watching the people passing by definitely helped, but most of them were in so much of a hurry, Noctis didn’t even have proper time to sketch something out. They were just slipping away and out of sight.  
_Now this isn’t going to lead me anywhere. I have to try something else._

Absentminded he took another bite of his pastry and let his eyes scan over the room. It would be so easy if it was only about drawing objects. There were quite some of them in here he could use as reference. But that wouldn’t do for an advertisement poster, that was for sure. Noctis needed a person, a face and gestures to transmit a message, to catch attention. They had made that clear in their meeting before. If only he could explain and ask Ignis about...

_Ignis_.

Noctis‘ gaze came to a stop and he stared at the slim figure of Ignis, standing casually behind the counter, leaning on the shelf behind his back, reading. He definitely wouldn’t run away, not like the people outside. And yet he was moving and shifting from time to time. It was perfect.  
Noctis turned around his sketchbook to open a blank page and started observing the man in front of him, while letting his pencil fly over the paper. A few times Ignis almost noticed being watched, but somehow Noctis managed to cover those moments up. It would be too embarrassing to get caught drawing him. He didn’t even ask if it was okay.  
Better keep this a secret. It’s only for practise matters anyways.

But observing and watching Ignis closely, Noctis noticed how handsome he actually was. He had never given much thought about it until now, but he was sure that his barkeeper must be quite popular.  
His hair was sleek and it fell around the shape of his head in a soft curve, framing his face with a perfectly groomed fringe. The way the sun shone on it, the strands sandy colour reflected in little chaps of blonde and red when he moved his head. His facial features were defined and very well balanced. A contoured jawline on a seemingly toned neck, a small bump on his slim nose which was set over a pair of smooth lips, curled in a subtle pout. Over his high cheekbones, the delicate golden frame of his glasses lead to his eyes, spheres of bright green, conveying his owner’s wits. And his body and posture had something casual but fancy to it, just by the way he nonchalantly had one hand propped up on the counter and the other waving in his

_What?!_

Noctis pulled up his gaze to see Ignis looking at him curiously, waving with one hand to gain his attention.  
_Oh shit._  
He hadn’t noticed he had been staring that openly.

„Noctis, is something the matter?“

Noctis swallowed, shaking his head energetically. „No, sorry. I—er, I was thinking about... something and ended up staring into your direction. Not at you! I mean, I was trying to... Yeah. Forget it. It’s nothing.“ He lowered his eyes onto the table in front of him, his heart hammering in distress. This was so. embarrassing. Noctis just hoped to not flush red accidentally as he had this morning. Damn, he should have really known better.  
He glanced up again to see Ignis, looking like he was about to say something, when he was saved by the door chime, tinkling in announce of a guest. The barkeeper dropped the matter and turned towards the entrance to greet his customer, while Noctis hastily flicked over some page of his sketchbook.  
_Damn, that was close_.

Carefully, to not attract too much attention, he peered up between the strands of his bangs to see the big man he had seen before walking in. The one with the inked arms Ignis had asured to be a friend of his and above that a policeman. He could not recall his name.

„What a pleasure to see you here at this time of the day“, Ignis greeted him and he looked at something behind the man that was out of Noctis range of sight. „Ah, and you must be Gladiolus‘ little sister he often talks about I suppose?“ Right, Gladiolus was his name.  
A young girl with a spiky bob cut and a plain dress made of black and red checked fabric with a white collar came in. „Yeah, that’s me!“, she answered energetically with a smile on her face. „I’m Iris. Nice to meet you! Gladdy has told me of you now and then.“

„Ah, is that so?“, Ignis replied cunningly. „Well, I hope this makes our encounter not less favourable. Ignis Scientia, at your service.“  
Iris chuckled. „You were totally right about his behaviour Gladdy. Never seen anyone that polite around here.“  
„Told ya“, Gladio grinned. „Iris got a day off and so I figured I let Highwind take care of my stuff. Need to spend some quality time with my family once in a while“, he explained to Ignis.  
„I think I don’t have to remind you that she will not be very pleased about this?“, Ignis returned with a wry smile. The big man only gestured lazily with one hand.  
„We’ll take the table in the back today. Counter’s not something for a young miss of her age.“  
„Hey I’m sixteen!“, Iris protested jokingly.  
Ignis laughed quietly, huffing out little breaths of air through his nose. „Very well. I’ll bring the menus over in a moment, just make yourselves comfortable.“

Iris skipped her way through the little space until he reached the table Gladio had pointed out before. She didn’t seem to notice the dark figure of Noctis sitting in the corner, but he was fine with it. As the big man passed him, he seemed to recognise him from the time they had first met in this place. At least the crooked smirk building up on his face and the raised brows (which were very bushy by the way) signaled this.  
„‘sup?“  
Noctis had not expected to be greeted so all he could manage was a hesitant and awkward nod in return. Gladio snorted but left it at that and joined his sister, sitting down with his back facing Noctis.  
Good. This way he might be able to get a try on practise for female faces without getting beaten up. And he had to draw something else, or the embarrassment of having stared at Ignis would not fade at all.

The siblings ordered their food and Ignis cooked while Noctis continued drawing. He had the basic compositions laid out fairly well, so all he had to do was go into detail. This was doable.  
Ignis passed him with two plates filled with something smelling delicously of stir-fried Bulette meat and stood with the other guests for a while, chatting about various things. Noctis was observing them, unconciously starting to portrait Ignis again. Gladly enough he noticed it before the person in question could have seen it, so he had the page flipped over again as he stopped by his own table to ask if everything was alright. It was. Sort of.

To distract himself, Noctis had started to sketch out a portrait of Iris. Things were going well and he was able to catch her features pretty easily.  
While Noctis was focussing on his sketchbook, Gladio had walked over to the counter to talk to Ignis.

„Say, how did you make this? Iris says she tried to cook something like that on her own but it didn’t end up looking like this. Any secrets you can share?“

Ignis pushed up his glasses, quickly thinking about what advice to give.  
„Well maybe it’s the cutting of the vegetables. It can influence their flavour. Tell her to try chopping the onions and lightly sautée them before adding the diced courgettes and the grated carrots. Sear the meat in a separate pan and the add it to the mixture and stir-fry it with the other vegetables. With the right amount of herbs this should do the trick.“  
Gladio went back, nodding all the way as if he way trying to remember every step of what Ignis had told him. Apparently he didn’t succeed, because he came back few minutes later to ask, what had to be done to the meat again before adding it.

„You have to sear it. Fry it in the pan for only a short time but on very high temperature“, Ignis added.  
„Yeah, fry it. Sure.“

Gladio shook his head, unable to understand why the vocabulary used for cooking had to be so various and turned around to join his sister again. Somehow, while turning around his eyes got caught on Noctis‘ sketchbook, where a detailled portrait sketch of his sister had appeared. With a firm thread he approached the stranger’s table, to really make sure he had seen it right.

„Whoah, hold on there.“

Noctis almost jumped at the sound of a strong voice coming from directly beside him all of a sudden. He looked up into the big man’s face, swallowing loudly. He felt small and breakable under his look in an instant. The guy lifted both of his eyebrows and crossed his bulky arms in front of his wide chest. Noctis didn’t like being taken stock of like this. Defensively he shoved his sketchbook a bit further away and out of the guy’s reach.  
„Y-yeah?“ Noctis really wasn’t sure what to expect. He feared him to be sort of an overprotective big brother to the young girl, who was looking over curiously.

„That my sister you’re drawing there?“  
Noctis wasn’t sure if it was an accusation. His eyes flickered around nervously, searching for Ignis to back him up.  
„Hey, I asked you something.“  
Gladio’s voice sounded awefully flat. Noctis wasn’t sure if he preferred it sounding angry instead. his eyes hurried over the girl’s figure, who was standing up and coming his way, looking back up into the man’s face.

„I—er...“ Shit. What should he do? He really should have thought through _whom_ he wanted to draw.

„Woow, this really looks like me!“ Iris showed up behind her big brother, leaning on the edge of the table and staring at the sketchbook in fascination. „You’re really good!“

„Might be, but this doesn’t explain why he’s drawing _you_ out of all people“, Gladio returned without letting his eye off Noctis, who shoved himself up into an upright seated position. „You’re not trying anything fishy here, are you?“ This sounded definitely more like a accusation. „Rich or not, I won’t let just anyone lay his hands on Iris.“

„Gladdy!!“, Iris scolded, both her hands on her hips.  
„He’s just drawing!“

„Yeah, who knows for what.“

Noctis felt uncomfortable with such pressure and far too much attention. He shifted on his chair, biting his lip. How did it come to this?

„Apologies. I might be the one to be held responsible for this, Gladiolus.“  
The siblings and Noctis yanked their head around to find Ignis, who had approached the discussion in discretion, idly polishing a glass between his hands. Gladio’s face showed clearly that he didn’t understand what Ignis meant by this. Noctis instead felt lighter in an instant, as he met the green eyes.  
_Man, I owe you one._

As if he had sensed Noctis‘ gratitude from his gaze, Ignis closed his eyes for a moment, before turning them to Gladio again.  
„He asked me if it was okay for him to spend his time drawing here today, and I agreed on it. As he seemed discontent with what he produced so far, I suggested he might take real people as a reference. Not long after this you and Miss Iris walked in, so I assume this to be the reason then.“

„He could have drawn me“, Gladio returned in a questioning tone.

„Don’t be ridiculous. Taking in account where he is sitting, your back is facing him. I suppose this wouldn’t be of much use if he wants to practise drawing faces. Besides, you must admit, that Miss Iris makes a lovelier model than you by far.“  
Ignis‘ explanations were smart, convincing and sounded very professional. Apart from the hint of slyness in his intonation, which Noctis caught on.

„See? No need to get that worked up on all that! You scared him“, Iris pouted playfully, trying to relax her big brother. While they were bantering, Noctis saw that Ignis‘ eyes were again directed to him. Funnily enough he could almost hear a concerned „was this alright?“, even though Ignis didn’t say a word. Noctis nodded almost unnoticeably, which made Ignis close his eyes and incline his head in return.

„But hey, this is really good! I mean it!“  
Brought back to reality by Iris‘ bubbly voice, Noctis blinked fast and produced an awkward smile.  
„Uhm. Yeah, thanks. I—guess I should’ve asked?“  
Gladio grunted but Iris only shook her head.  
„No no, it’s fine. I don’t mind. You’re really talented.“

Noctis paused a moment before he made a decision. He turned the sketchbook and under a yelp of the young girl he ripped out the page.  
„What are you doing?!“, Iris almost yelled at him.  
Noctis made sure that the paper was not crinkled and the border, which had been attatched to the book not fuzzy. Then he carefully put it down again, taking a pen out of his pencil case and unscrewing the cap.  
„The name was Iris, right?“, Noctis asked.

„Y-yeah?“, she answered, still shook by the sudden ripping action.  
Noctis nodded and started to let the pen dance over the paper in dreamy swirls. He had always wanted to write a personal dedication on one of his works. The ones that were not meant to land up on posters, labels and flyers. He contemplated a moment after he was done but nodded happily only a glimpse later. He carefully lifted up the paper again and held it towards the young girl.

„There you go. Might as well let you have it then“, Noctis said, handing her over the portrait. Iris looked at the piece of paper in amazement and even Gladio couldn’t deny that he was fascinated by the illustration.

„Are you sure? Is it really okay for me to keep it?“, Iris asked astounded.

„Fine by me. As Ignis said, I was only practising anyways and“, he looked at Gladio „it’s not like I wanted to use it for anything.“  
Gladio snorted but Iris was just happy with the present she had just been offered.

„This is so cool! I will cherish it, I promise! Thank you, er...“  
Iris tilted her head, noticing she didn’t know the name of the stranger who had drawn her yet. Her eyes flickered over to Gladio, who just shrugged.  
„I know Ignis calls him by name, but I forgot what it was. It was something with N I think.“ He looked at Noctis. „No offense man“ he added in excuse.

Noctis shrugged. „Not a problem.“ But he hesitated a moment before going on. A girl like Iris might be more into all the chit-chat and sparkling society gossip than Ignis was. He should be careful about telling her his name or he might end up giving himself away. But then again Ignis might get suspicious if he suddenly told her a different name and he didn’t want that. He wanted his place of freedom to be free of any weirdness.  
„I’m Noctis.“ He tried to sound as casual as possible.

For a second it seemed as if something like understanding had lit up in Iris eyes and Noctis already feared the worst. But then again her reaction was quite normal.  
„Thank you Noctis. I’ll treasure it.“  
He felt relieved.

Being talked into it by Iris, Noctis somehow ended up drawing Gladio as well, „for the family album“, as she insisted. Both of the men were not too enthusiastic about this, but Gladio wanted to please his sister and Noctis took it as a matter of practise. Naturally it turned out very well and for Gladio’s dedication, Noctis incorporated parts of the tattoo into the letters. Both of the siblings seemed to like it. Before they left, Iris apoligised once more for having bothered him. He noticed her eyes to be quickly scanning over his clothing which sent him into goosebumps.  
_Oh please, just let me be_ , Noctis thought nervously and somehow his prayer was heard. Iris waved at him in goodbye and she and Gladio took their leave.

„You caused quite a ruckus there“, Ignis remarked amused, wiping his lenses before settling them back onto his nose. „I hope you could keep the part of privacy you are looking for when visiting?“

Noctis was putting away his pencils as he answered. „Yeah. I’m perfectly fine, thanks. But honestly, I thought big guy was going to pick a fight.“  
Ignis huffed out a sigh.  
„Ah, yes. Gladiolus tends to be very... involved in matters concerning his sister. He seems to be very fond of her, at least regarding the way he sometimes talks of her.“

„Siblings, huh.“ Noct shoved his sketchbook back in his bag. „Can’t imagine what it feels like. Should be quite fun I guess.“

„I am afraid I do not have any sorts of experience myself. But I can imagine it to be, yes.“

Noctis let out a soft snort. „Anyway, thanks for helping me out. I thought I was getting in trouble.“

„Never mind“, Ignis returned. „I just want to make sure you can feel at ease here. Nothing more.“ He put down the glass he had been polishing and folded the polishing cloth between his hands. „Speaking of which, have you been able to make progress with your drawings? I hope you were not too much distracted.“

The black haired boy flung his bag across the shoulder, pushed his chair to the table and brought over his long emptied plate.  
„Yeah. I think I got the hang of it. I’ll probably work a little more on the assignment in the afternoon, but I should be able to come up with something. Thanks again, I really owe you.“

Ignis raised a brow when he recieved the plate. „Frankly, I don’t think I was that much of help in this matter.“  
Noctis blinked fast, faint spots of pink sprouting on his cheeks.  
„Nah, you did. Trust me.“ He couldn’t possibly tell him that he had practically been studying his face and body features until the others had come in. But it had been a help. At least Noctis had pictures in his mind he would have to bring to paper once he came home. „More than you think.“

„If you say so.“ Ignis tilted his head in confusion. He saw that Noctis was already prepared to leave. „Leaving already?“

Noctis nodded. „Yeah. I will have to talk things through with... my co-worker still. And as long as I have some inspiration I should better make use of it. Not to forget that I cannot have you work overtime, can I?“  
Wow. Noctis regretted the last sentence he had dropped. He was trying too desperately to sound cool. It was embarrassing. Somehow Ignis seemed to have sensed this too, as he casually rested one hand on his hip, tilting his head with a smug smile on his face.

„Ah. How lucky to know myself at your mercy, Master Noctis.“  
The master in question grimaced, which sent Ignis into one of his soft chuckles.  
„But very well then. I hope you had an enjoyable stay and come back some time again.“

„As soon as I can make it. See ya, Specs“, Noctis answered with a feisty grin before heading for the door.  
„Noctiiiis?“ Ignis was calling out in reprimand but from the corner of his eyes Noctis could see that he was still smiling. Then he left with a husky laugh.

 

It had had its desired effect, to have finally been able to go back to that place again. The stress and tension of the morning’s event had completely vanished and Noctis felt light. As soon as he came home he locked himself up in his working room and started to draw. He had promised Dino three sketches, so he would deliver them. Noctis decided on two female and one male subject so that they still had room to decide what fit best. Yet all three pictures had their charms and Noctis would be glad to bring either of those onto a big sheet of paper, chiseling out little details and colour it. He wondered how Dino managed to get that adequate duplicates for distribution but he had never bothered to ask. This was not his part of the job.

The sun was setting already when Noctis left home for Dino’s atelier. Wisely enough they had decided on it to be rather nearby so meeting up was easy in case matters of high priority were to be discussed. Dino had already switched his lamps on and was brooding over scattered sheets of paper with slogans and flacon designs when Noctis found him.  
„Hey Dino. You got a spare minute?“

The man in question muttered something unintelligible before dropping his pencil in frustration and turning around on his stool.  
„Noctis! I’m so sure you’re coming over to tell me that your design process is going well“, the silver haired man told him in cynical exaltation. All of his expression conveyed that he didn’t really mean it.

„Actually, yeah, I am“, Noctis answered confidently and handed over the sketchbook. „Right those three pages where I put the bookmark in.“

Dino didn’t seem to have expected anything like this at all. His mocking expression froze in place for a second before he took the sketchbook he was offered.  
„Wait... you mean it?“  
Noctis nodded, lips pulled up in a half smile. „Yeah? I guess so?“

Blown away by Noctis‘ sudden boldness he slowly lowered his eyes to examine what he had come up with. And he found himself astonished about the quality. „No way you really drew this by yourself, and not today. That quality’s insane!“ Dino skimmed through the three propositions over and over.

„Yep. Told you I can if I want to.“ This was a victory, Noctis could feel it. The way Dino was looking at the paper, he knew he had won. „So, anything you’d like me to brush up for the final piece? I’ll let you decide.“  
Dino was shaking his head, flipping through the pages over and over again.  
„I really can’t believe it. This is insane!“ He ran a hand over his chin. „Let me just think about this a little longer, okay?“

„Fine by me“, Noctis shrugged and sat down on another stool, one of Dino’s assistants used to sit on. He seemed to have left for today though. More designs and colour schemes were scattered over his desk. „Hey Dino, mind if I just take a look at those?“

„Go ahead“, Dino waved with one hand, still not letting his eyes go of the drawings on his knees. „I wanted to show those to you tomorrow. Didn’t expect for you to come around in the evening anymore.“

As the two were immersed in skimming through the different drafts, the atelier’s door swung open and Regis stepped inside. It seemed to have gotten colder outside with the sun setting as he was freeing himself from a thick scarf and leather gloves.  
„What a surprise to see you still working all focussed“, Regis said with a fond smile on his face while he took off his coat. „Especially you Noctis. It’s unlike you. Has something happened?“

Noctis raised his head from the drafts and looked at his father with pursed lips. „Uhm. I just happened to finish the presketching? And... I just thought I‘d show Dino right away? Because, you know... Time issues and stuff.“  
His father raised both eyebrows in suprise.  
„Oh, did you?“ He looked at Dino, who nodded and only waved Regis over to have a look at the drawings Noctis had brought along.

„Take your time. I’m still busy with these here“, Noctis told them before sinking into the papers in front of him. The slogans were not bad but still to be adjusted. Gladly enough those were only meant for a catalogue coming out some time later, so Dino and his assistant would have enough time to fix it. But there were some fonts he liked pretty much, so he marked those with the pencil he had picked up from the desk. The colours were very autumn-like, a lot of earthy tones. Just as Noctis was thinking about adding a hint of cool hues into the colour scheme, more blues and purples, he was distracted by the suddenly raised voices of the two other men beside him.

„I guess it’s set then?“, Regis asked Dino, gesturing at the sketchbook with his index finger.  
„Definitely. With a few adjustments made, this is the perfect choice. I thought just the same, right when I saw it“, the younger man answered, a satisfied smile on his face. They both turned to Noctis, who returned their look in anticipation.

„So you—you liked it, then? Like, both of you?“ He looked as his father, who was nodding in approval.

„I must say, I am quite impressed. You have improved, Noctis“, Regis told him.

„Nah, it’s nothing“, Noctis shrugged it off with a sheepish grin and rose from his chair to walk over to Dino’s desk. „So, which one is it you picked?“

When Noctis saw the picture both Dino and his father had agreed on, he froze. His heart felt like dropping right down to his knees.  
„Er—that’s not... part of the sketches I was suggesting.“

Dino pursed his lips and lifted his hands. „I just stumbled over it when flipping through your book. And this immediately caught my eye. It’s so much more organic and feels so _alive_ , your father was on my side with this right away. Am I right, Mr. Caelum?“  
Noctis turned to see his father nod in consent.  
„That picture has something to it. It’s attracting the viewer’s attention immediately. Don’t get me wrong, your other drafts are beautiful, but this here is on a completely different level.“

This. Was not good.

„Well then, Noctis. Be sure to get the piece finished in time, okay? So we can still work on duplicating them. This will be a hit! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have doubted you on wanting to have a male face for the campaign. It’s perfect. I’ll just go and tell my team, so they can already prepare themselves and make their plans.“ And then Dino was gone. No way to take this back.  
Regis approached his son and lay down a hand on his shoulder. „I’m really proud of you, Noctis. I tend to forget the determination that drives you to your best. It would be nice to see this more often, you know? I mean, this is only a sketch but it is visible how much attention you gave it.“

_Of course I did._  
Noctis stared down on his sketchbook, his stomach churning in horror and embarrassment. It was one of the sketches where he had gotten carried away and tried on taking steps away from the original reference. He just happened to test drawing open shirts on this one and leaving out the glasses, that usually framed this face.  
Noctis was swallowing audibly, while he had to see a sketch of Ignis laid out in front of him. How did it come to this? Why did he have to get carried away with _this_ sketch of all?

„Dad, um... I—I had a reference for this? Like, a real person, you know? I don’t know if we should be really... using it?“

„I don’t see where the problem is, Noctis. All the best artists used references for their works. I think it is fine. Have a little more confidence. You did a good job.“ Regis softly punched Noctis‘ arm, before he started to get dressed again.

„Now then, I’ll be heading over to join Dino quickly and come home then. How about having dinner together?“  
Noctis nodded absently, unable to process correctly what was happening, unable to speak up against the decision that had been made.  
„Good, then I will see you later.“

Alone in the atelier, Noctis still couldn’t believe that this was about to happen. He just hoped Ignis would never find out. He’d be mad at him for not only drawing him secretly but also for not asking for permission to use this. He would be mad for sure. And he, Noctis, would lose that small refuge of his, where he could let go of all predjudices and just be himself, make real friends. There was no way people wouldn’t know about the Caelum family or Lucis Scents, even if they didn’t have any faces popping to their minds. And Noctis didn’t want to be treated like that. Not there. Not there where he somehow succeeded in starting to build up a normal social life he actually enjoyed. Not by Ignis.  
Noctis took deep breaths to calm down. He just really hoped Ignis would never ever find out.

This was not good. But things had already started moving. And now, there was no turning back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and the kudos going on!  
> I'm really happy to see that you guys seem to like what I write, even though it's very slow paced and I'm not quite cofident about this.  
> This chapter is a bit longer than usual, but I couldn't find a point to cut it off and just... went with the flow I guess. More plot will be following!
> 
> Truth is, my thesis got in my way pretty badly and I'm not yet sure if I can manage another chapter for next week. So in case it takes me a little longer, please be kind with me and wait for it. I will upload it for sure. Apologies in advance for possible delays.
> 
> As always: let me know what you think, if you feel like. Kudos and comments are highly appreciated.  
> Come and say hi on my [tumblr](http://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/).


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis sits in front of a door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow I managed to finish the chapter in time, so here you go!

Noctis was running down a poorly lit cobbled street and he was running at the edge of breath. His feet would not lift from the pavement the way they usually would. He felt them being dragged to the ground, as if invisible hands did not want to let go of his ankles, making his running a lot more exhausting than it already was. And then the rain made the ground so slippery, it was just a matter of time until he finally sprawled, bashing open his trousers and knee. It burned. Noctis sucked in air through his teeth, growling in annoyance.

_Dammit._

He struggled up and wiped his dirty and wet hands on his trousers. This was not the time to be held back. He had to make it in time. He swept the wet strands of hair out of his face, only able to make out the silhouette of Ignis somewhere further ahead.  
„Ignis!“ Noctis called out to him but the lanky man seemed not to have heard it. His silhouette began to vanish into the gray curtain of rain, every single of his steps clacking unnaturally loud on the pavement.  
_What is he doing here?!_

Noctis stumbled clumsily down the street, trying to catch up with the man ahead of him. No matter how loud he yelled, Ignis didn’t seem to hear him. Panting heavily Noctis reached out with one hand and managed to grab the back of Ignis‘ shirt.

„Ignis... I... I need to... talk to you“, he gasped, lungs burning as if something had set them on fire. He tried to catch his breath but failed desperately. „Please... listen, I... I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have...“  
The man, whose shirt he was holding tightly, turned around to glare at him with green venomous eyes. Noctis suddenly felt incredibly cold and he started to shake uncontrollably. He tried to speak but his voice just failed him.  
Ignis unceremoniously grabbed Noctis‘ wrist and shook it off. He looked so tall and his glare was intimidating.

„Yes you shouldn’t have“, Ignis answered icily. „But now the damage is done and I will not engage in senseless bickering. This is beyond me.“  
Noctis stared at Ignis, still panting heavily and eyes widened with horror. The look Ignis gave him was dripping with despite. Noctis wanted to shake his head, apologise but his body wouldn’t move. Ignis let out a disregarding blow of air, the corner of his lips twitching up for a fraction of a second.  
„Nothing to say I see. Fine.“ Ignis bent over until his and Noctis‘ faces were aligned.

„I have no business with a trickster like you“ he hissed. „Stay out of my sight.“

Noctis just couldn’t move. He was frozen in place, as if time had stopped and he could do nothing more but watch. Watch Ignis straighten his back again, looking at him in disgust. Watch him turn around and watch him taking his leave.

_Please, no!!_

Noctis‘ vision started to blur out at the edges but he wasn’t sure if it wasn’t the rain playing a trick on him. He spastically flung his head from the left to the right to get rid of it but it didn’t work. At least he had managed to move. Noctis took a deep breath struggling to get his legs moving too.  
And so they moved.  
Noctis panicked as he saw Ignis vanishing and started to run after him again. In his haste he tripped over something Noctis wasn’t even sure had been there and for a moment he was floating in mid-air, arms whirling around to brace him when he fell. Just in this moment a familiar, snickering voice rang in his ears. „Well, well. If this hasn’t taken a scandalous turn. Are we going to witness a breakdown now?“  
The moment Noctis should have hit the ground he somehow slipped right through it and all the scenery around him vanished, leaving him falling into a never ending void, around him nothing but darkness. He couldn’t scream, he couldn’t do anything. He just kept falling deeper and deeper and deeper...

 

Noctis jolted up from under his sheets, letting out a strangled gasp as his eyes flung open. A thin trail of sweat ran down his chin and he hastily wiped it away with his hand, still panting heavily. It took a moment for him to regain orientation. There were no cold pavements and no rain. Outside the sun was just about to rise above a thin veil of clouds. He looked down to find himself sitting upright in bed, his legs weirdly entangled in the sheets.

He had been asleep. It was only a nightmare.

Noctis let his head fall back onto his shoulders and calmed down his breathing. It was just a dream. Ignis wasn’t really mad at him, he had only dreamt this stuff up. It was just a dream and nothing more. For now.  
He ran his hand across his face and neck, scratching the back of his head. He’d definitely have to tell Ignis about the fragrance poster ad. That it was nothing he could change anymore, that it was not his choice and not his fault. Or was it? But then again he’d have to reveal who he was and he wasn’t really keen on that. His familyname and all of this was nothing more but a plague to be survived somehow.

Swinging his legs off the bed (he wouldn’t be able to sleep any longer for once) Noctis decided to take a shower to wash away the remains of dark thoughts and the lingering sweat. At least this way he could already start to work on that misery of a poster and head over for the bar at noon, as usual.  
As the hot water was flowing over his body, Noctis started to think – which was usually nothing to be happy about. He was no good at it and it always leading into panic.  
Noctis liked being at Ignis‘ place, but it was still weird to think he had turned up in this dream. Or wasn’t it? Since when had this started playing on his mind? Something in the icyness of the slender man’s attitude had Noctis worked up more than he liked and more than he wanted to admit. Ignis somehow felt like the personification of freedom to him. The sort of freedom he had always been looking for, away from his home and work. Doing what you want and what you like, being your own master, being in control of everything but just enough to have enough space to unfold.  
_Man that’s embarrassing_.  
Thinking stuff like this made Noctis feel strangely uncomfortable. He should just stop thinking about it at all. If he was able to. He was not a weirdo. He started scrubbing his hair thoroughly.

Noctis turned off the water, jumped out of the shower and into some random clothes he had scattered around his room the evening before. With a shirt and a rather simple pair of trousers he headed for the kitchen to grab some bread and cocoa and then directly went over to his working space on the first floor.  
It was a spacious room with large windows to let in as much light as possible. Even the roof was made of glass that stretched over the room in a small dome. All around lay different art supplies, colours, brushes and other utensils Noctis normally used for his work. Some were neatly lined up at the larger desk, some stood on the ground and in all various corners of the room. Everything was kept very light, walls in white and cream and lots of electric bulbs dangling from a construction on the ceiling in various heights. Right below the big window front that was showing parts of the garden, Noctis spread out the large sheet of paper he would be drawing and painting on.

The poster had to become a success. Not only for the company. Not only to prove himself before Dino, his father and Ardyn. It had to look perfect because its face was Ignis‘, the face of the man who had never asked for this. And if Noctis already was in for trouble, he could at least try to make this trouble look its best. It was the least he could do for him. In a way it might be a form of apology. Maybe he wouldn’t be that furious if it looked good...

After several hours of sketching out the basic shapes, refining the layout and layering the first coats of colour, Noctis decided to take a break. Work was going well and the only had to fix several issues with Ignis‘ face before starting on the main colouring work. Something wasn’t right yet, so maybe it was just time to go and check out the real reference. For study purposes. And food.  
On his way, Noctis decided on telling Ignis about the poster, when he was done with it and satisfied with the result. This way he could at least show him what it looked like – what _he_ looked like on it. Noctis really hoped this would soften any form of potential anger. He could worry later about Ignis having to take in what family Noctis actually stemmed from. Just ignore it for the moment being seemed the best thing to do.  
With this silent resolve, Noctis walked down the street and made for the bar.

_Faithful customers,_  
_it is always a pleasure to have you. Unfortunately you will find the Libra Elementia closed_

Noctis‘ heart had slumped just the slightest bit as he read the paper that was sticking to the inside of the door window.

_due to a few days of personnel-holiday._

Thank heavens, it was only temporary. For one moment Noctis had feared, the place had closed down for good.

_Apologising for possible inconvenience this might cause the Libra Elementia will be delighted to welcome you again from Monday next week. Thank you for your patronage and your understanding._

Noctis straightened up again and peeked through the window. Inside it was dark and there was no sign of anybody moving inside. The bells of the chapel nearby rang twelve.  
_Wow, I’m even on time today and nobody will ever notice. Not my day._  
He dropped his shoulder bag on the floor and sat down right in front of the entrance, his back leaning on the door. Maybe Ignis was just late? Something at the market got him delayed and maybe he would show up any minute. Maybe the bar was closed but Ignis would be coming home at some point. Although neither was very likely, Noctis wanted to believe this. He reached into his bag and pulled out his sketchbook (the one in which his misery had started) and graphite pencil. Might as well pass the time with something then. Good thing he had thrown on clothes at random today. He looked just like every other man of his age, his trousers stained with spots of paint here and there. Nothing suspicious about it.

And so Noctis drew. Ignis didn’t come. But it didn’t matter. At least not that much. But he could have told him that he was leaving on holiday. But it was okay. Maybe.  
With his back against the door of his safe haven, Noctis relaxed. He had grown fond of the surroundings (and of course the interior and what came with it, but this was not the point) and felt so boundless here. Nothing mattered. It was just him and nobody from home knew where he was. Nobody around knew _who_ he was. He never knew how much he had really wanted something like this, before he had it. The more Noctis thought about it, the deeper he fell into focussing on drawing and the more his surroundings seemed to mute down and blur out.

„Whoa, dude! That’s some amazing stuff you’re doing there!“

Noctis startled and jerked his head up to see where the sudden animated voice had come from.  
A scrawny guy around his age stood right in front of him, bending over to see what he had been scribbling. His blond hair looked a bit like the feathers of the Chocobos Noctis had seen when he had been on holiday with his father in Tenebrae and his blue eyed face was peppered with freckles. Noctis noted that his clothes were a bit dirty and that he didnt wear any shoes but he didn’t give it too much thought.

„Er... thanks?“ He managed an awkward smile as he tried to take the measure of the guy in front of him. He didn’t look... dangerous at least.

The freckled boy showed a wide grin. „Hey, do you have more of that stuff in there? Can I have a look?“

Noctis pursed his lips and contemplated for a second before he decided it to be safe.  
„Well, yeah? Sure.“

„Cool! Lemme see!“  
The stranger forced Noctis to shuffle aside a bit as he was flopping hismelf down next to him. It was weird to be that physically close to somebody he didn’t know, but Noctis decided to just let it happen. The boy carefully turned the pages of the book and regularly let out some amazed oohs and wows. He turned his freckled face towards Noctis.

„That’s one hell of a skill you got there! You drew all of these?“

Noctis scratched the back of his neck.  
„Uhm, y-yeah? I guess?“

„This is hilarious! Love the stuff. Especially the detailled ones!“ He continued turning the pages. „Whoah! That’s this street here, right?“, he asked and pointed at a drawing. Noctis remembered drawing this from inside the bar, looking out of the window.

„Ah. Yeah, it is. I made that drawing not long ago when I was having lunch.“

The blond looked at him curiously.  
„You mean here at Iggy’s place?“

Noctis blinked fast.  
„Yeah. Wait, you know Specs?“

The stranger looked surprised for a second before he shook his head and bursted out in laughter.  
„Dude! That’s what you call him? How are you still alive?“ Noctis only managed to shrug, paralysed by the sudden outburst. What had he gotten himself into? It was like having a human firecracker talk to him.  
The guy next to him wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.  
„No but seriously, he gets mad when you make fun of his glasses.“

„I’m not making fun of him!“, Noctis protested, moving his face closer to strengthen his argument.

„Whoah, cool it down man, I’m not the one being bothered by that.“ The boy dropped the sketchbook on his lap and held up both hands in defense, still giggling.  
„But yeah, I know him. He’s uh—he’s helping me out quite often, yeah. We’re friends.“

„Oh?“ Noctis let himself fall back against the door again. Of course Ignis would have friends. Life is not only about work after all. Normal people had a healthy social part to it.

„So, what about you?“ The blond tilted his head with a smile on his lips, looking at Noctis in anticipation.

Noctis shrugged and tried to sound casual.  
„I’ve been around for some time now. It’s really nice here and... uhm.“ Noctis pursed his lips in contemplation. „I like talking to Ignis. He seems to be a nice person. Very considerate about his... friends I guess?“

„Yeah, that’s just Iggy for you. He cares a looot more than he actually shows. He doesn’t open up that much but he’s a really good guy. But hey, if you already figured out that much, that means you’re one of his friends too, right?“

Noctis looked confused. He didn’t really think about his relationship to his barman before. They were no longer strangers, that was for sure. And they were more than a business relation. The thing he was pretty sure about – be it embarrassing or not – was that Ignis meant freedom. But friends?  
He could feel the uncomfortable warmth creeping up from beneath the skin of his cheeks again and turned his face away from his opposite.  
„Er.. I don’t know if... Well, I—I’d like to be, I guess?“

The boy beside him chuckled with a wide grin.  
„Cool! Iggy’s friends are my friends! Nice to meet you!“ He handed back the sketchbook. „I’m Prompto.“

Noctis turned his head back into Prompto’s direction. There was nothing deceiving, nothing vicious and nothing testing in his looks. He genuinely seemed happy to meet him. Noctis took the book from Prompto’s hands and smiled wryly.  
„Yeah, nice to meet you too. I’m Noctis.“

Noctis put away the pencil and the book, and was glad Prompto had miraculously skipped the pages where he had drawn various variants of Ignis, including the poster presketch.  
Prompto just continued his chattering. 

„So, you and Iggy...“  
The blackhaired boy spun around and looked at him with a piercing stare. He felt his cheeks burn. Prompto instantly burst out in laughter. „Dude, what’s with your face? Youre reactions are scary! I just wanted to know how you got to know each other.“

 _Right_. Something was definitely wrong with him.  
Noctis affected a cough and ran fingers through his hair to calm down.  
„Sorry, I... I didn’t.. sleep well tonight and er—guess I’m a bit edgy today.“ He laughed awkwardly.

Prompto waved his hand in return. „No big deal. Things that happen. So? How come?“

„The... food, I guess?“ Noctis told Prompto about the first time he got here and how Ignis had opened earlier than usual and about the absolutely delicious pastries. Prompto nodded in approval.

„Yeees, Iggy knows his stuff. It’s really amazing what he can whip up. And he is so fast! It’s like magic! Like, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made something appear right out of thin air. He’s amazing!“ The way Prompto talked about it made Noctis smile.  
„Like, some days ago we had that autumn event at the orphanage and – “

„Oh, so _you’re_ the friend Specs had made all those pastries for?!“, Noctis interrupted.  
Prompto froze in mid-sentence and nodded surprisedly.

„That’s... me I guess? Did he talk about me?“ He seemed to be a little concerned about what Noctis might be knowing about him.  
Noctis shrugged.

„Yeah. I was here that day and wanted to help him carry the trays, but he told me he was good. That’s when I heard about the festival. So...“ Noctis didn’t know if he should be asking but the conversation felt so refreshingly normal that he just went with it. „You have business with the orphanage? At least that’s what he told me.“

„O-oh, did he?“ Prompto laughed awkwardly and started fidgeting with his thumbs. Noctis looked at him curiously but obviously this was a touchy subject for him. The scrawny boy sighed in frustration.  
„Aaah, yes okay. Okay. I’m living at the orphanage. I grew up there and right now I still haven’t got a real job. Don’t judge me.“ He rattled down all of this at once, trying to sound indifferent but Noctis could see that it bugged him. He was biting his lip and his eyes spoke of uncertainty. Actually he was not much different from himself, just on another level.

Noctis pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile. A genuine one this time.  
„Nah, I’m not judging anyone. It’s not that I don't have issues of that sort myself. So don’t worry, I’m good.“

Prompto seemed to relax. „Really?“ He let out a sigh. „I just... thought it might better for me to tell you. Like, I wouldn’t want to have Iggy tell you stuff about me. I can do that myself – even if it’s not only fun to tell. But maybe this is just some step I have to take. To get ahead I mean. I have to someday.“

Noctis nodded, his hair swaying back an forth at the motion.  
„I guess no life is only fun to tell then, huh. We all carry our little boxes.“ Prompto looked at him in anticipation but Noctis quickly shrugged it off. He didn’t want to reveal anything about himself right now. Maybe sometime, but not now.  
„Anyways, I’m not judging you. You’re... kind of a nice guy.“

„ _Kind of_?! Awww, man that hurt!“ The blond pouted theatrically which made Noctis laugh. He swatted his scrawny and freckled arm and Prompto laughed along. Then the blond jumped up, dusting off his clothes.  
„Hey Noct! Let’s have a walk over to the market! Earlier in the morning one of the Lestallum farmers was setting up his skewer stand. We _absolutely_ have to check it out! He sometimes gives stuff away for free you know? He’ll be like: ‚Come again and tell all your friends‘, and that’s all he’s going to say and you don’t have to pay a single Gil! He’s a really cool guy. And the skewers are good!“

Noctis just got to his feet and was adjusting the belt of his bag. He looked around right and left but still no signs of Ignis.  
„Uhm, I don’t know. I mean, is there still a chance for Ignis to be coming around? I wanted to ask him something.“

„Nope“, Prompto answered, crossing his arms behind his head. „Iggy’s off for Tenebrae to see his uncle. At least that’s what he told me?“  
So he had told Prompto about it, but Noctis had known of nothing. Somehow this felt like a punch in the gut. But well, maybe he was just expecting too much. All of this had him so worked up, he would have to get a clear mind again. He wasn’t used to expect things. And he shouldn‘t get used to it.  
„So, you’re in or what?“ Prompto was easily rocking back and forth on his feet, arms still crossed behind his head.

After a short moment, Noctis agreed. He was so glad he had skipped on his usual clothing habits. He would blend in easier by far. He still hoped in the back of his mind that nobody would recognise him. But this didn’t seem to be the case downtown, so he allowed himself to let down his guard a bit and just go with the flow of events. Work could be done in the afternoon.  
„Yeah. Sounds fun to me.“

„Woohooo! Then off we go!“, Prompto cheered and flung an arm around Noctis‘ shoulders. Noctis stumbled a bit but he chuckled at his new acquaintance. Prompto seemed to be a nice guy and it was just easy getting along with him. He didn’t seem to bother asking problematic questions either, which made it even easier for Noctis to simply enjoy the moment.

„Oh, oh, Noct?“ Prompto turned to him with sparkling eyes.

„Er, yeah?“, he returned with a slightly bewildered expression on his face.

„Can I... ask you something? It won’t hurt, promise!“

Noctis looked around, slightly unsure about what he was going to be asked about.  
„O-okay? What is it?“

Prompto slammed his hands together and squinnied.  
„Would you mind coming over and see the kids in the orphanage with me, pretty pleeaase?! I promised them a story and I bet they’d looove to have a second actor on the stage.“

Noctis minutely shook his head and frowned.  
„I... er, I don’t really get what you’re saying Prompto. What’s that about?“

Prompto opened one eye and started explaining.  
„Well, you see, I’m a storyteller. On the streets, normally. Acting out stuff. Like for money. Buuuut that aside I’m doing some sort of storytime for the kids. I mean, I live there aaand I can’t pay. So I have to make up for it. But you know, doing all the roles and voices by myself is pretty tiring and it would be great if you could support me. Today. Not everyday. Just today. But it would make a great surprise for sure.“ He squeezed his eyes shut again.  
„Noooct, pleeaaaase?“

„Uhm... I don’t know if I’m that much of help. I’m.. usually awkward around people?“

„Duuude, you’re not, really!“

Noctis nervously ran a hand over his neck. But how bad could it be?  
„Okay. Then let’s give it a try.“

Prompto jumped in the air and pulled his fists to the chest in a victory pose.  
„Thanks buddy! It’ll be so much fun, I promise!“

„I have to get back at around three though? Work to do and stuff.“

The blond gave him a thumb-up sign.  
„No prob! Leave it to me.“

Noctis chuckled.  
„Well then, let’s see how much fun we can make it. What’s on your program though? You might have to explain me the story in advance.“

Prompto pulled a mischievous face. He leaned over and spoke up with a low voice.  
„ ‚Once upon a time, when the world had yet not taken its current shape, six mighty peoples reigned over Eos.‘ Got the idea?“

Noctis returned a wide grin. No need for an introduction into this one. He loved that story. His dad had often read it to him when he was a child.  
„The tale of ice and fire? Count me in. But only if you play Shiva.“ 

„Hey! I wanted to see _you_ in that role!“, Prompto whined but in the end he agreed nevertheless.  
When both of their stomachs were rumbling in synchronicity, they finally made their way to have skewers on the market. Noct would buy some of them, without having Prompto notice so he wouldn’t suspect anything. Then they would eat and afterwards head for the orphanage.

The day had turned out completely differently from what Noctis had expected but he liked it a lot. All his way back home and when he continued working on the poster he thought about the fun he had. His father also took notice of his son’s lifted mood but he thought it to be because of how work was going smoothly.  
Though all Noctis was eagerly thinking about, was how he couldn’t wait for Ignis to come back. He had to tell him about what happened today and couldn’t wait to see his suprised face again. Hell, he was looking forward to this.

The poster confession could be dealt with later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, as always! Things are starting to move, so I hope the development will be fun to read and not too awkward.  
> In case you're interested in the fairytale Noctis and Prompto are talking about, you can read it [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12018471).
> 
> I'm super unsure about my writing so please let me know what you think?
> 
> Kudos and comments are love!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis and Prompto are talking.

„Sorry, a what?“

The blond boy stopped walking and turned around in Noctis‘ direction, disbelief in his widely opened eyes.  
„I... carved him a cactuar? Wait, wait, wait: you are not trying to tell me that you don’t know what a cactuar is.“ Lean shoulders rose up in an apologetic gesture.  
„Dude! _Everyone_ knows about cactuars! Those little tin toys? No? Are you actually living on the moon or something? “

 _Not quite right_ , Noctis thought but somehow managed to drive the conversation away from digging too deep into this.  
„So, you made a... cactuar, out of wood, all by yourself you say? That’s pretty cool?“

„Yeah, I guess“, Prompto grinned and folded his hands behind his head. „Poor Talcott seemed so sad when he told me that he had lost the wind-up key to his moving cactuar. All whiny about that it will never ever move again, so I made him a companion. As it’s wood, of course it doesn’t move, but hey, it’s at least a companion, I told him. Like... just a bit like in the story of the Steadfast Tin Cactuar?“  
Receiving a hoping look, Noctis pursed his lips and had to shake his head again. Prompto sighed.  
„Yeah, I thought so. When you don’t know what cactuars are, how could you possibly know the story. Noct, this can’t stay this way. I’ll show you, follow me!“  
Prompto took up his speed and waved animatedly at Noctis, signalling to come after him.

They had met when Noctis had tried his luck at the Libra Elementia again, only to find it closed. Of course it would have been. Ignis had written it on the paper and Prompto had told him so. But he at least had had to check. Prompto had found him on the bar’s doorstep, doodling around in his sketchbook again. It hadn’t been long until they had started talking again, Prompto deciding to take Noctis to the Kellbass Park he had never been to before.  
It was strange. Even though they barely knew each other, talking with Prompto was easy. No misunderstandings, no treading around words or double meanings. Secrets could remain secrets and those who could be shared could be. Noctis felt like they knew each other forever and decided it to be okay to trust Prompto. And he was a friend of Ignis‘ after all, so he couldn’t be that bad. Ignis was a person who always analysed before he acted, so he must have deemed Prompto to be a good guy if they were friends. Which made Noctis only feel more at ease.

A few streets and alleys later, Prompto stopped in front of a show window, framed in dark green wood. Stella Toys was written in golden letters over the windowplane. When Noctis didn’t seem to move from where he had stopped, the scrawny boy came closer and pulled him over, until they stood right in front of the glass separating the shop’s display from the outside. Taking a look at Prompto, Noctis could see joy glitter in his purplish-blue eyes. He directed his eyes towards the toys, standing on display.  
„See, see? Those tiny guys are cactuars! Like cactus figurines but, they‘re alive! There is a whole world and stories around them. Quite popular with the kids“, Prompto explained.

And Noctis could see why. Those little figurines and toy assortments were finely handcrafted and looked really lovely. They were working with many different mechanics, so that the figurines and installations could move. There was the plain cactuar figure, with a tiny wind up key on the back to move his arms. Probably this was the one Prompto had talked about earlier. But there were more complex ones too. A parade with running cactuars that were moving up and down in different motions when you would turn the little crank on the side. Cactuars that would shoot their three needles (Noctis thought them to be hairs before he was corrected) when you would turn its leg.  
„Wow, there’s really a lot of them, huh“ Noctis said astonished. Prompto nodded energetically.

„I know, right? It’s absolutely hilarious. I was reeeally throwing myself into the technical part of this once, because I wanted to figure out how the mechanics and stuff work. Imagine I could make something like this! That’d be awesome!“

Noctis looked up from the little figurines.  
„Well, you could still make that your job, you know?“

Prompto made a face.  
„Nah, I don’t think I’d last long. I like mechanics and technical stuff. Well actually, I‘ve been working at a watch maker’s and a locksmith’s and I was pretty good at it. I think? Well, I have been told I was? But once I had figured out the stuff, it got boring pretty fast. So, I don’t really think I’m cut out for this. Great hobby though.“

„If... you say so?“ Noctis responded, when both of them started moving again. They had their destination after all.  
Walking through the cobbled streets the two boys were chatting over this and that, Prompto pointing at something on the end of the street occasionally and Noctis teasing him for something he had said before.  
As they passed another shop window, Noctis spotted photographomats for sale. He was surprised to find such downtown but then again he quickly confirmed the models labelled „new“ to be older versions of the ones he and Dino were using for their shootings.  
_So this is how it goes, huh_ , he thought as they walked by. But also the fact that Prompto’s eyes had lingered a bit too long on those devices and that his brows had creased longingly didn’t escape him. He decided to ask him about that, as they had gone a bit further, Kellbass Park already in sight.

„Hey Prompto, just now you were looking pretty closely at the photographomats in the shop window. Anything about them that catches your eye?“

He whirled around with a surprised look on his face, then grinning widely with his freckled cheeks lightly flushed.  
„Guess you got me there buddy. Man, you’re not as scary as Iggy sometimes is, but still quite impressive. How did you know?“

Noctis chuckled.  
„Well, maybe it’s just your face that gives it away easily.“

„No way! That bad?“ Prompto faked a sigh, which was followed by a sheepish scratching of his cheek.  
„Well, you know... Don’t laugh!“, he treatened with an upraised finger. Noct grinned and encouraged him to continue.  
„I know it’s kinda... childish, maybe? But one day I‘ll get one of those. From my own money, when I have a job and a secured life? This is what I want to work for.“

Noctis looked at him in interest.  
„Well, sounds not childish to me. You like taking pictures?“

Prompto waved his hand.  
„Haha, well I‘d like to try at least. Didn’t get the chance to until now. Only once, when we had the annual picture of our orphanage family taken, the kind old man showed me a bit. Because I was the oldest, you know? He even allowed me to take one of the pictures. It was just... so fascinating, seeing the photo you have taken. It was nothing special, but I liked it. And, something like those photos that you sometimes see in the newspapers? Like, stuff that’s hanging in exhibitions and so on? Of course I‘ve never been to any of that kind, but I got to see some in articles. They only capture a moment, but you can see so much more of a story behind them, you know? And imagine being the one who took it! The one who can tell that story, only by that visual! Honestly, I would like to try if I can take some like that. Pictures of things that really matter. You could call it a crazy dream of mine“, he concluded, looking at something very far away.  
„But, for this I’ll have to scratch some money together first, so it’s not going to happen so soon.“

Noctis didn’t laugh. He would have if it really had been something stupid, but this was just a normal dream, worth striving for. He had thought for a moment about the possibilities he could offer him. Dino had quite a lot of old photographomats they didn’t use anymore and he was sure that some of the film used for them were somewhere in stock too. But that would have been weird. Being suggested something like that out of the blue was not only creepy but Noctis also feared to stomp on Prompto‘s pride. Besides, he didn’t want to be that ordinary snobbish high-class boy, belittling the poor and doing something „good“ for them. If he was offering something, he’d want to do it as a friend, and be seen as such. For now he had to take a mental memo of this, just in case the time and situation was right, to do something about that dream. In the right way.

Kellbass Park was one of the bigger parks in the lower ring. Of course Noctis had seen larger ones, not even to mention the vast fields on the countryside, but this one had its own charm of some sort. It was cozy and felt comfortable. A similar type of coziness to what he experienced when being at Ignis‘ bar. Just the right size to neither feel lost, nor cramped.  
There were trees planted along the pebbly ways, with leaves flaring in bright yellows and reds. Some of those had already scattered onto the ground, making the path look like a river on fire. They continued their stroll until they reached a group of benches next to a small pond, where they decided to sit down. Noctis took in every rustle, every breeze and every smell he could catch. All in all it was very chilly and earthy.  
As they silently sat for some minutes, only occasionally commenting the weather or how the fish in the pond would survive winter, rompto took his turn to ask.

„So Noct, I’ve been telling you pretty much stuff about myself until now so... what about you? I mean, no need to tell me stuff you don’t like, but I’d like to get to know you better too. So, what’s your life like? You working anywhere?“

 _Shit_.  
This was exactly what he had feared would happen some time. Noctis opened his mouth, only to close it again.  
If he told him right now, there were surely rumours that would spread. Prompto wouldn’t have any bad intention behind it, but he feared that he’d talk. And if he did, that meant he couldn’t stay around for longer. Maybe he’d even tell Ignis and this was totally out of question. He had achieved that piece of being himself, with no predjudices, noone to observe him and he wanted to be accepted like that. He wanted to keep it. But not telling Prompto anything would be very unfair. He was an honest and good guy, so he deserved an answer. Maybe if he’d be vague enough about it?  
Noctis eyes flickered around, like they could make out what to say from the tiny blades of grass, swaying in the breeze next to his feet. When his eyes met at Prompto, he could see him looking at him with a big question mark written onto his face. He inhaled deeply and hoped that he’d be able to maneuver around the critical parts of information. 

„Uhm, yeah. Well... you know, I—I actually _am_ working. But I guess it’s nothing like what you’d imagine it to be. Uh...“ His eyes flickered over to Prompto.

„Well, I guessed something like that already. No normal working person would be out chatting with someone like in in the middle of the day?“ He shrugged it off with a grin. „So watcha doin‘? OH, don’t tell me!!“ Prompto faked a gasp and leaned over with a suggestive and playful grin. „You‘re working in the redlight business?“  
This earned him a strong swat to the shoulder from Noctis.  
„What? Had to ask right?“ Prompto laughed, rubbing his arm. „I don’t think you’d ever spill something like that if I don’t address it before.“

„Oh come on, do I really look like that sort of type to you?“ Noctis groaned.

Prompto giggled and shook his head.  
„No, not really. I just wanted you to relax a bit. No need to grow tense around me, buddy. I might not look it but I’m pretty much the dependable guy.“

Noctis burst out in laughter, which only grew worse as Prompto started his pouting face again.  
„Alright, I got it“, he snorted. „But to make it clear: it’s nothing like that.“  
When the laughing had calmed down again, Noctis continued talking.  
„Right before everything, Prompto I... cannot tell you everything. There is... let’s say I have some issues with my life I don’t want to talk about? I think they might make you see me... differently? I know it probably doesn’t make much sense to you now, but please just... go with it, okay?“

The blond nodded attentively.  
„Sure! Fine by me.“

„Good.“ He took a deep breath. He could do this, somehow.  
„So, the reason why I’m not at work right now is... well, I actually am. I usually have a lot of stuff going on in the mornings and evenings. When the season is started being planned out it gets really tough and I have to work from morning till evening. But mostly I’m productive in the afternoon. So, in the last preparation before the season starts, I need to get my inspiration going. So I need some time to breathe, which is why I’m here now.“

„Season? Inspiration? Sorry, but I think I can’t quite catch up with what you’re saying.“

„Oh. Sure, my bad.“ Noctis pondered how he should express it. What had he told Ignis when he had asked? No, had he even asked?  
„Well, to cut it short, I’m working... in the design department of a—er, rather large... company. You know, designing... fonts and layouts and... bottles and stuff?“ He rummaged around in his bag and summoned the sketchbook he was always working in. He waved it around in Prompto’s direction.  
„So yeah. I can do the brainstorming part of my job just anywhere. I mean, you have seen it I guess?“

He had Prompto gawping at him, eyes switching between the sketchbook and Noctis.  
„Dude, that’s your job?! I mean, I already thought you were pretty good but then no wonder you are!“  
Noctis awkwardly scratched his neck.

„Nah, no big deal, really.“

„It damn is! Whoa... that—that means you’re living in the upper ring?“ Noctis nodded warily, trying to estimate his reaction.  
„Oh man! I can’t believe my buddy is such a fancy guy! That’s so exciting! Can I have a look at your sketches again?“

Noctis was relieved when he saw Prompto that energetic. He had feared to create distance between them by spilling this bit of information, but apparently he didn’t. A really welcome turn.  
„Yeah, sure. Here you go“, he smiled at him and handed over the book. „But be careful with it, I still need the stuff inside.“

„No prob!“, he anwered with sparkling eyes, starting to skim through the pages.  
„So how is it there? I bet it’s all glamour and fancy clothing and parties going on! Stuff dreams are made of?“

Noctis sighed and let himself fall back into the bench.  
„There are a lot of parties, I guess? But it‘s actually a lot of unnecessary talking and keeping up appearances. You have to talk in a certain way, behave in a certain way and everyone’s eyes are constantly on you, only checking if you’re not messing up at some point. Not much fun really. It’s more of a nightmare. I prefer something more casual like this here“, Noctis vaguely gestured around.

Prompto looked up from the book and shot him an accusing look.  
„You’re not trying to make fun of me, are you?“  
There it was. The thing he didn’t want to start happening. Noctis quickly shook his head.

„N-no! Why would I? I mean it, it’s dreadful to me. It would be a lie to say that it’s not... comfortable I guess? But really, the expectations and forced social bonding stuff is something I hate, But I can‘t avoid it, at least not in my position. And being the centre of attention all the time is horrible. I mean, I couldn’t even talk freely like I am now because they would reprimand me about my choice of words.“

The bluish-amethyst scowl softened quickly into something more compassionate.  
„Oh. Sorry Noct. I just... to me it’s a dream world, you know? Something out of reach, somewhere I never belong. But I guess I have been a bit too optimistic about it, huh? Of course there’d be issues. It’s people living there after all. But hey, after what you’ve been telling me you really seem to be kind of a big deal.“

Noctis huffed out a sound of disgust.  
„Yeah, you could say that“, he returned with a sarcastic smile.

„O...kay? I mean, I won’t ask anything more personal than that, don’t worry. Sorry to bother you. But is it okay for... someone like you to... uh, well, stick around with me?“

Noctis shot him a slightly panicked scowl.  
„Stop this. Prompto, please. This is exactly what I don’t want. I’m here because I _want_ to be, not because I’m allowed or forbidden to be. So just... don’t care, okay? Just don’t care where I come from. It’s just a matter of birth anyway. I never...“ He sighed.  
„I never chose that place.“

„Hm.“ Prompto thought for a second.  
„Well, guess you’re right. Most people tend to avoid or yell at me because of my shabby looks you know?. They think that I’m up to no good, roaming through the streets, begging for money. Think they know who I am. But you didn’t. You have been nice to me all the time, no suspicious eyeing, talking to me like any normal person.“

„You mean, you’re not. A normal person.“ It came out like an accusation.

„No! I mean yes! Argh!!“ Prompto ruffled through his own hair with one hand.  
„Okay. Let’s just... not be awkward. I get that you don’t want to talk about your origins. I wouldn’t have either if it wasn’t that obvious I guess. But you seemed like a good guy. Still do. I guess... you’re just Noct, right?“

„Y-yeah. That’s... thanks Prom.“  
Prompto gave him a friendly smile before he turned back to the sketches again. The two boys sat silently next to each other. Probably his new friend hat to process this information, at least that’s what Noctis thought. But still. He had said it. Well, not to what degree he was that _big deal_. He didn’t drop his family name, but then again Prompto hadn’t asked for it. Maybe he didn’t even care. At least it seemed like he would want to keep off the predjudices. This was really all Noctis cared about now. For a moment he had feared that – 

„Hey wait, is that Iggy?“

Noctis was brutally ripped from his thoughts, his head shot into Prompto’s direction, eyes wide.  
„Wait, what are you looking at there?!“ His voice broke as he hurtled over to Prompto, whose eyebrows had shot up in surprise. He was pointing at the sketchbook.

 _Damn!!!_  
It was the page Noctis had used as reference for his momentary poster work. Noctis could feel the heat involuntarily rising to his cheeks and he cursed himself for not being able to do anything about it.  
Prompto smirked at him, as Noctis ripped the book from his hands and slammed it shut.

„You’re blushing buddy“, he scoffed.

„None of your business!“, Noctis grimly returned, the pink on his cheeks still vividly flaring.  
„I—I need to practise once in a while! There are no other people around when I’m there!“

Prompto managed to snatch the book again before Noctis could even act.  
„Lemme have one more look at it.“

„Prompto!!!“

„Don’t get so worked up man. I won’t tell him, promise“, the blond giggled, searching for the page he had just been looking at moments ago. When he found it he gave it a thorough look.  
„Wow, that’s really good. How the heck did you get all those details straight?“ He squinted at the sketch and brought it closer to his face. „Dude, how good are your eyes?! I never noticed Iggy had a beauty mark on his neck!“

„I... uhm. Had enough time to observe I guess. Damn, this is really embarrasing. Really, don’t tell him.“

Prompto sighed in appreciation and handed the sketchbook back to Noctis again, who didn’t seem to know where to look.  
„No worries Noct. I’ll keep it a secret. But honestly? Iggy’s quite good looking, don’t you think? I must say I’m a bit envious.“

„You... think so?“ Noctis tried to get his mood back to sounding casual.

„Totally. If he wasn’t working inside his bar all the time, I guess he’d been long since scouted as model or something. Not to mention the girls swooning when he walks by. But that man’s always so much dedicated to work, I wonder if he ever, you know, just lets him enjoy himself.“

„Yeah“, Noctis agreed.  
„Sometimes he seems to restrict himself, strapping himself up in duty and stuff?“

Prompto nodded.  
„I think he doesn’t show it but he’s got it pretty tough in his own way, I think. Did you know he usually sleeps at around five? Like, five in the morning? So I hope he’s at least spending his holidays nicely. Wouldn’t count on that though. He’s much too focused on his job.“

A quiet corner of Noctis‘ mind seemed to rejoice at the news that Ignis seemed to be on his own. But then again he appeared much lonelier than he used to before Noctis knew.  
„Well, gotta see if we can change that, don‘t we?“, he threw at Prompto with a wry smile.

„You bet!“ he laughed in return.

The chattering went on for some time afterwards, before Noctis‘ pocket watch told him that it was time he took his leave. The two of them walked back until they reached the bar again, where they decided to split up.

„Thanks for your time, buddy! I had a blast! And be sure to take me to the upper ring sometime, okay?“ Prompto laughed as he bumped his fist into Noctis‘.  
The raven haired boy laughed huskily.

„Not dressed like that for sure, but I’ll see what I can do.“

„Awesome! See you tomorrow?“

Noctis contemplated for a moment.  
„Argh, no. I have kind of nasty meet-ups scheduled and business issues to be discussed so my timetable is pretty full. I don’t really know when I’ll be able to come around next.“

Prompto waved with one hand.  
„Take it easy. I’ll just check on Iggy’s place from time to time to see if you’re there. Aaand who knows? Maybe I will even have found some job the next time we meet. Gotta brush up my image hanging around with the kinds of you“, he joked.

„You and a job? I can’t wait to see that. Might wanna impress this high class friend of yours“, Noctis returned pointedly, grinning at the boy who was merrily giving him a peace-sign.

„You bet! See ya!“  
Prompto disappeared into the streets in a glimpse.

Noctis made the plan to invite him for lunch at Ignis‘ the next time they met. In celebration of his newly gained friend. It would surely be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you waiting and thank you for your patience!  
> I managed to hand in my beta version for my thesis, so I managed to get this chapter on paper ^^
> 
> This chapter is Noctis and Prompto centric, but we'll come back to Iggy as soo as he's home from his countryside trip, I promise :3  
> I'm kind of anxious about the next chapter, because I have to continue the main plot, but I hope I can write it enjoyably.
> 
> Thank you all so so much for kudos, comments and even bookmarks! I can't say how delighted I am to see others have fun with the stuff I came up with.
> 
> Come and talk to me on [tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/)!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Caelums receive guests.

„Young Master, you’ve got to get up. The guests are coming over in two hours and you need to get ready.“

As well as it had worked all of the past days, that day Noctis had just silenced his alarm clock, turned around and slept in. If it wasn’t for Maylin doing her work properly he’d probably slept through the whole day. Noctis hated days of social gatherings, especially when his father had to be the one hosting it. With one eye barely open he glanced over at the window that was being stripped of its curtains just now. The metal coloured sky encouraged his wish to bury himself into his blanket and just fall asleep again.

„Young Master, please. Your father awaits you for breakfast. He expects you to appear any minute, fully dressed. He told me you’d still have things to discuss before the guests arrive.“

Noctis rolled his eyes behind closed lids.  
„Yeah, got it“, he grunted and shooed her away with a lazy wave of his hand.  
As he heard the door click shut, he rolled himself onto his back and stared at the ceiling.  
_Talks huh_.  
Using all the physical force available, he pulled himself up to a seated position, resting his forehead on his knees and kneading his neck. How in the world had he been able to get up all those last days? Maybe he shouldn’t be working so long into the night hours anymore. It did him no good.

„Alright, let’s get this over with.“

Noctis slapped his hand against his cheek twice before he swung himself out of bed. It was cold. One longing glance back to the still warm and fluffy bed until he finally put on some socks and headed over for the bathroom. The reflection looking back at him from the mirror looked... not as bad as he had feared. The bedhead was hideous as always but his eyes had felt a lot more tired that they actually looked. Alone the faint crease between his brows and his lips curving downwards were betraying his facade. His father’s voice was already ringing in the back of his head when he took a deep breath. Noctis brought both of his index fingers to the corners of his mouth and pushed them upwards in a something between ugly and squishy grimace.

„Smile Noctis“, he ordered himself in a bored tone but as soon as he took away the fingers, his mouth would return to its former shape. With a grunt he swung himself into the shower and started to get ready for socialising.

Once dressed, Noctis looked at himself in the full-length mirror of his room, twisting his upper body from right to left and stretching out his legs in synchronicity.  
His favourite steel gray shirt was neatly tugged into his plain black suit trousers, covered with a fine leather belt and a silver buckle with engraved ornaments. The next layer was a vest made of a darker onyx coloured fabric, a kerchief of blue colour as only Sylleblossoms have them draped in the vest pocket. This way Noctis was able to avoid having to bind any necktie. He preferred to wear a bolo tie instead. His blazer was kept simple, black with silver buttons along the laples and at the sleeves, simple black leather shoes on the bottom. At least it didn’t have to be the kind of dresscode for all official events. He was still able to move normally in this.  
After he had rearranged his fringe he deemed himself presentable enough, no matter what his father would say.

When Noctis entered the dining room, his father already waited for him, sitting at the table in all formal clothing, sipping on his cup of tea. He looked up at his son, his expression softening around his eyes.  
„Good morning, Noctis. It is good to see you awake.“ He glanced at Noctis‘ usual hairdo. A short huff of air escaped his nose. „Is there a chance you will ever change the way you wear your hair?“, he asked amused.  
Noctis shook his head as he sat down in front of his breakfast pastry and a cup of hot chocolate.  
„No way. It’s the last bit of personality I’m allowed.“ He took a sip of his hot drink. „And also, Dino’s hair is not what you’d call subtle either. Let the artists have their spare bit of fun, dad.“ Noctis grinned wryly as he bit off a piece of his pastry. It was flaky and the butter flavour was well balanced but it still was somewhat a bit too dry. He decided to dip it into his chocolate before eating it. For a moment he thought of how Ignis‘ pastries were being much better when Regis addressed him.

„So, are you prepared for the day? We are going to have important things to discuss with the Nox Fleurets. I hope you are aware of this?“

There it started. Noctis tried to control his mood and nodded in response.  
„Dad, I’m not a child anymore. Believe it or not, I _do_ prepare myself. Sometimes.“  
It would always be the same. Behave yourself, you’re the heir to our family business, mind your language, and so on.

„Good. Then I guess we are both ready, huh?“

Noctis looked at his father in surprise. No further lecturing today then? He swallowed another piece of chocolate drained pastry.  
„Yeah, sure. I wonder what they are like, the Nox Fleuret siblings I mean. You get to see them all over the newspapers but you never know how they really are.“  
_I really hope they’re not the kind of people with sticks in their asses_ Noctis thought but kept it to himself.

„They are said to be a rather charming duo. Very professional and intelligent though, so you might want to watch your words.“ Regis smirked and winked at his son, who rolled his eyes in defeat. So he wouldn’t be spared after all. But if it was limited to a kind reminder, he should probably not complain and just play along.

The breeze was cold and it was drizzling when the Nox Fleuret siblings arrived at the Caelum property. Two attendants hurried towards the mauve coloured automobile with a pair of umbrellas to welcome the guests. Noctis took in their appearance as they strode towards the house. Both of them were tall and had hair of a fair colour fall elegantly around their faces. Their step was graceful yet strong and it was obvious they were somewhat a class of their own. They were dressed in shades of white and purple, making them seem almost etherical. Being renowned doctors, of course they had to display that to the outside, at least Noctis thought this to be the reason. White was smudging so fast in this city, there was no other reasonable argument to be wearing it.

Regis greeted the lady with an implied kiss onto the back of her hand, while he shook hands with her brother in a little bow. Noctis observed every move and mimicked it to not mess up from the start. He knew the etiquette – well, the basics – but he wasn’t keen on any reprimand or rolling eyes in case he should trip over one or the other rule.  
When he brought up the lady’s hand close to his face the subtle scent emerging from her wrist struck Noctis as familiar. He lifted his head and looked at her in wonder.  
„This is... _Serena_ , right?“

The woman lifted her brows in surprise, only to soften her face into a graceful smile.  
„It is. From the day of release I have been very fond of this scent. I have been using it ever since.“  
Noctis couldn’t help himself but faintly blush at the words of praise. _Serena_ had been one of the first scents he had actively been involved with. He would recognise it anywhere.

„Oh, er... thanks. I mean, thank you. This is... very kind of you.“ Noctis stumbled over his words. His head was still not switched to business mode as it seemed.  
The lady chuckled.

„I am Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, specialised doctor for physical and mental illnesses. Pleased to meet you.“

Noctis took a short bow.  
„Noctis Caelum, son and heir to the perfumer business Lucis Scents, mainly in charge of composing scents and design... things. Matters. It‘s a pleasure.“  
Lunafreya’s voice had a certain ring to it that reminded him of Ignis. This somehow made it easier for Nocits to talk to her. Even if he stumbled along his words.  
Her brother Ravus on the other hand seemed to be of a colder character. He didn’t seem to be the friendly talkative type. As they shook their hands in greeting, Noctis felt scrutinised, as if the other was trying to fit him into one of his pre-determined categories of people. The fact that he was taller than him by a good bit didn’t make things better. He was greeted with piercing heterochromatic eyes that seemed to harbour a certain kind of bitterness.

„Ravus Nox Fleuret, doctor for physical illness and surgeon, specialised in the field of prosthetic treatments.“

„P-pleasure to meet you.“ Noctis felt intimidated and hurried to back away from him.

„I am very glad to be able to welcome you here. It is a true honour. Please, step in before you catch a cold. I will have some hot beverages prepared in a moment.“  
Noctis was so glad he could leave the majority of the talking part to his father. Thinking about having to do all of that by himself someday left him in a moment of desperate panic, before he was brought back to reality and showed the Nox Fleuret siblings the way to the conference room. As he had learned it, he pulled back the chair for Lunafreya before sitting down next to his father.

Regis shot Noctis a quick look, before he rose again from his chair and shortly excused himself to talk to the attendants about the lunch that had to be served later. Noctis took a deep breath. He knew that his father was doing this on purpose. Just so it was up to him to start the smalltalk. Something he had never been good at and most likely would never be. He cleared his throat.

„So, uhm... Did you have the time to acclimate yourselves here in Insomnia? It’s not been that long since you moved here, right?“

„It has been fifteen days now but I think we got quite a clear picture of how life in this city is arranged“, Ravus answered briefly, settling his arms on the table.  
Noctis couldn’t help but stare at the construction in front of him. The man’s left arm was studded with wires, screws and metals, held together by cogwheels. Some parts seemed to be embedded into the organic material of the arm itself. It was a wonder of science that Ravus could move every joint of his arm almost normally. He had never seen any prosthetic installation more complex than that. Whatever had caused this injury, the technology it had born was stunning for sure.  
As Ravus started to notice his stare, Lunafreya stepped in.

„Yes it is a very charming place. Much more industrial than what we are used to from Ulwaat but I have the notion that there will be a lot of things to learn over here.“

„Oh, so you’re originally from Ulwaat? I’ve been to Tenebrae before, but I still didn’t get the chance to visit that part of it.“  
Noctis‘ face lit up in undestanding. It must have been her accent that had reminded him of Ignis earlier. That made sense. Both Lady Lunafreya and Ignis were from Tenebrae. Strangely enough the accent didn’t come out as prominent when her brother was speaking.

„Oh, you absolutely should“, Lunafreya replied. „The best time to visit is in summer, when the berries are freshly harvested. They make wonderful sweets out of them, you know?“

„Yeah, I bet. Er... I mean, I can imagine. It’s probably great to – “

„Sorry to keep you waiting.“ Regis had returned, now with a walking cane in is hand as Noctis observed. He hoped that his father would last throughout the day. „I had to check on a matter with some of the attendants but now that everything is set, I think we should start talking about what we are all gathered here for.“

Noctis shoved back his father’s chair so he could sit down a little easier, when suddenly the door to the conference room flung open again. All heads yanked around to see who it was that entered the room and Noctis felt his stomach churn. This was going to be troublesome.  
„Oh well, hello. You were not going to start the negotiations without me, were you?“

„If you cared to show up in time, this sort of misconception would not have happened, brother“, Regis returned in a friendly yet palpably strict voice.

„Ah, the weather I am afraid. You must know, I’m not handling rain very well“, Ardyn answered as he was striding towards the empty seat. He took an excessive bow before sitting down.  
„My Lady, Sir. Yours truly Ardyn Caelum, first born to the family and in charge of the family business with my younger brother Regis. What a pleasure to have the two prodigies of the house Nox Fleuret as guests in our humble location.“  
The slick chant in his voice made Noctis feel sick. And what really did he do for the company? Noctis had never really seen him work.

Regis huffed out a short sigh before turning to Lunafreya and Ravus again.  
„Well, shall we begin then?“

Noctis was pretty surprised as the project they were talking about turned out to be something really interesting. The Nox Fleurets had come up with the thought of using a variety of scents in combination with medicine and other healing practices. This would not only make the application more enjoyable but Lunafreya was persuaded that fragranced essences and oils might even help to alleviate a patient‘s suffering.  
Ardyn snickered at her conviction.

„Lady Lunafreya, I appreciate that nimble... fantasy of yours. But I don’t really see how scents could probably help curing diseases. Now don’t misunderstand, I am very ethusiastic about all of this but you might consider that the people will call for... proof of some kind.“

Ravus was about to speak up, his brows bent into a scowl but Lunafreya held him back by gently laying her hand on his wrist. Then she turned towards the red haired man, resolve in her eyes.  
„Sir, I am aware of this but I also said to be only at the beginning of my research. All I can say to this point is that different scents affected different people in various manners, most of them being positive. I’m currently looking further into this and to get the best possible results, I think we are in need of your know-how.“

„It is not our intention to launch anything in this sector right away“, Ravus added in support of his sister. „Everything will be planned and worked out thoroughly, rest assured. Besides my sister is very capable in her field. You better not underestimate her.“  
For a moment he and Ardyn held their eyes locked in a mutual glare. Listening closely one might have heard the tension cracking between them.It was always the same with the old creep. He loved provocations and performed them with a wicked delight on his face.  
The silence was broken when Noctis somehow spluttered what was going on in his mind without any further warning or introduction.

„Yeah, that actually sounds pretty good. We could produce samples they could work with and give us feedback about their effects. Meanwhile we can just gather a lot of information about spices, flowers and plants that are said to have a healing effect of some sort, test out if it’s working. Then alter the samples and then repeat. Meanwhile we could start mixing medication with odours. They’d have to be light, not too overpowering and we’d have to check if they reduce the medical effect. Or cause allergic reactions. This would have to come first. The other thing... hmm. We should run the research on that sort of therapy at the same time until it’s ready to be launched. We’d have to give it a name... scent therapy, no that’s crap. Aromatherapy sounds better. And—“

Noctis looked up, meeting four pairs of eyes fixed on him. This made him realise that he had babbled again. He was suddenly hyperaware of himself, feeling the heat of embarrassment boiling up on his face. Noctis hated to be the centre of attention and again he unwillingly had maneuvered himself right into it. He pressed his mouth shut and clenched his jaw.  
Regis showed him a smile, fondness reflecting in his pale green eyes. Ardyn was glaring at him, mockery in the arch of his brow, while Lunafreya gave him a genuinely happy smile. Even Ravus had eased his frown and smugly pulled up one corner of his mouth just a bit.

„Yes, actually this is what we were talking about, thank you Noctis“, the man concluded the spontaneous monologue, satisfaction dripping from his words. „We would start off with a collaboration in perfumed balms, massage oils and other medical tinctures we are mixing on prescription, balanced for each individual patient and treatment.“  
Something told Noctis that Ravus was more or less out of sorts with Ardyn. This earned him some points on his scale of sympathy at least.

„Let’s see how far this walk will take you then, shall we?“, Ardyn scoffed and lounged in his chair.

„You mean how far it will take _us_ I suppose?“, Regis added, clearly meaning to rebuke his brother for his behaviour. „I am very eager to find it out myself. Lady Lunafreya, Master Ravus, I very much hope to be able to cooperate with you to the favours of both our affairs.“

Noctis was still recovering from his sudden spotlight appearance, fumbling around with the family signet ring on his finger. At least it somehow had struck a chord, same as last time when he had been discussing on the ad campaign. Maybe he had gotten better in expressing what he thought, maybe he was starting to get the hang of it but then again maybe it had been pure luck that it hadn’t resulted in any further chaos. He huffed out a small sigh of relief only having an amused chuckle of Lunafreya directed at him. He averted her eyes again.

„Let us take a break“, Regis suggested. „Too much talking at a time will only have us worked up I guess. We are not yet ready for lunch yet, so what about we show you around the house a little? To be honest, Ravus I’d like to speak to you for private matters if this is okay?“

„But of course Master Caelum“, the tall man answered. „This can be arranged without further struggle.“ Regis nodded in gratitude.

„I would like to see of the designs young Master Noctis is working on, if it is permitted?“ Lunafreyas request was directed at Regis, but Noctis found her looking at himself when she spoke of it.  
The older man was pleasantly surprised but inclined his head in consent, before he shot a questioning look at Noctis.

He swallowed. He was not very comfortable with the idea of having total strangers run in on one of his works in progress. But then again she seemed to be rather friendly. Well, at least better her than her intimidating brother.  
„Uhm... yeah. Yes. It’s... okay I guess?“

„This looks like I’m not wanted here anymore“, Ardyn dwelled and rose from his chair with a rustle of his clothes. „Rest assured though, I will keep myself informed about your plans and aspirations. I have to know what you are up to, am I not?“ His golden eyes flickered over from Regis to Noctis, something flaring up behind his irises for just a second. It sent a chill down Noctis‘ spine.  
„Farewell then, Lady Lunafreya, Master Ravus.“ His gaze lingered on the latter for a hint longer. „I am sure we will meet each other again very soon.“  
With an air draught and the slamming of doors he disappeared, leaving Regis to apologise for his brother’s behaviour again.

„Hey, uhm, about the designs and stuff—the design drafts, you would need to come with me? It’s not far, just up the staircase and, yeah. Never mind. I will show you the way.“  
Noctis guided her to the door and out of the room, excusing themselves with a short bow. Before he closed it he looked at his father, uncomfortable about having to deal with one of the guests alone. But as his father gave him an assuring smile, he exhaled sharply and took his leave. He could do this without slipping up.

The atelier was flooded with daylight so Noctis didn’t have to turn on the lightbulbs dangling from the ceiling. Even though the sun was hidden behind clouds and rain was sprinkling the glass roof, there was enough light to not leave any hint of shadow in the room. After Noctis had checked everything to be alright and no paint lying around where Lunafreya could possibly stain her dress with he beckoned her in.

„So, uhm.“  
_Ugh_. The smalltalk part.  
Noctis tried to fish for words but then again he remembered that she had been pretty nice talking to until now. He just tried to hold on to the thought, that something in her character resembled Ignis. Maybe this would help him get his casual talking going. It used to be easy with him too.

„So, this is where I usually work on things. Well, at least when I work on them alone. We have other ateliers spread all over Insomnia, where we sometimes do meet-ups and discuss on stuff.“  
Noctis gestured around.  
„There in the corner I normally develop sketches I drew beforehand and... ah, the things hanging on the walls are projects I’m still working on. And be careful to not step onto anything. Dad would kill me if something happened to the poster. Or to your clothes. Ah –“  
_Shit! That was too casual_. He cleared his throat.  
„I—I’m sorry, Lady Lunafreya. What I meant was –“

Lunafreya just smiled at him in understanding and stopped him by the wave of her hand.  
„It’s quite alright. Please, don’t be too cautious about your language, I don’t mind it. And please call me Luna. I feel more comfortable with it.“

„O-okay.“ Noctis pursed his lips. Had this been a different person he’d probably have slipped up, _again_. „I’m sorry, I just don’t get used to all this. Somehow I’m still missing things to do so.“

„But the things you are saying are valuable, aren’t they? There is no need to be troubled by your comportment, it will come with time. Noctis, was it?“ He nodded in affirmation. „Well, Noctis, would you mind me looking around your works for a moment? I rarely get to see creative processes and designs that are still in the making.“

„Sure you can have a look. I... It’s just that I’m not really good in presenting things? So, if there is anything on your mind, just ask. I should be able to answer at least.“

„Sorry to bother you“, Luna replied with a faint bow before she started looking at the drawings pinned on the wall. It was silent for a while and Noctis appreciated it. His head had been entangled in rules about manners and formality swirling around in chaos, coupled with nervosity and boredom at the same time. While Luna was busy with flipping through sketchbooks on the shelves – she had asked him before if it was alright – Noctis turned back to the big poster on the floor. A half painted Ignis was smiling smugly back at him. Right. He had to tell him about that too. And there were parts of the picture Noctis couldn’t seem to bring himself to like. It was just looking out of place. A heavy sigh escaped him but he remembered too late that there was somebody else in this room.

His sighing had summoned Luna next to him, looking at him in amusement.  
„Is there something on your mind, Noctis? Does it have to do with this?“ She pointed at the soon to be poster.

„Yeah, it’s... sorry I was lost in thoughts right now. I am supposed to finish this soon enough and I’m still not happy with some parts of it.“

Luna stepped closer to be able to see better what he was referring to.  
„This is a charming motif. Even if you are not satisfied with the outcome yet, to me it looks like you are putting great effort into your work. Is this based off somebody you know?“

She had hit the mark and Noctis felt his face flush again. He ran his hand back and forth his jawline to cover it up somehow.  
„Hmhm. It is. But it still doesn’t look like him. It has to be perfect. I... didn’t talk to him about this yet, so I need it to be at its best.“

Luna tilted her head.  
„I am sure you are doing fine. Judging from your drawing he looks like a kind person to me, so he will probably be all flustered when you tell him. Will you use this for your upcoming scent collection?“  
Noctis nodded and Luna chuckled in response.  
„It will be a big surprise for him then. Oh?“  
She picked up the paper Noctis had set aside as sort of mood board. It showed sketches of simple things he was associating with Ignis. Such as the cups Ignis was using in the bar, a close up of the glasses he was always wearing, the font he used for his menus and the pastry set Noctis had grown fond of.

„Ah, this is to... get a better hold of his character. Somehow it’s getting my arms to move easier that way. Like, thinking about what makes him that person he is? Does this even make sense?“

The woman looked intensely at the piece of paper, smiling.  
„Yes, it is completely sensible. But say, this here“, she pointed at the pastry sketch. „It somehow reminds me of a dessert I know from Tenebrae. You know, one that is typically served with the Ulwaat berries I was talking about earlier.“

Noctis yanked his head in her direction in surprise.  
„It is! It’s one of my favourites. I didn’t know until lately, but I really like it a lot. In fact, he makes them and they are really good, I promise.“

„I’d like to try them sometime“, Luna smiled. „It is one of the things I thought I would be missing from home actually.“

„No need to be missing things you can still have“, Noctis smiled wryly. He didn’t think that Luna would actually be that approachable and sympathetic. „I’ll have some ready next time.“

„Thank you. I will be looking forward to try them. I wonder if they taste like the ones at home.“

The pastry serving as some sort of icebreaker, Noctis and Luna started talking about different things. About being to Tenebrae, the Sylleblossoms Lucis Scents cultivated and harvested there, the differences betwen Ulwaat and Insomnia, their daily work routine and then back to the project they would be working on. It was not much of a deep talk but at least it was continuing and even nice. He could picture sitting in a room with her and Dino, thinking about all kinds of stuff. It would be productive and creative.  
Putting it that way, Noctis was still worrying about Ravus‘ part in all this but they could work this out another time. Maybe this worry would go up in smoke as well, although he doubted to be that lucky. Ravus seemed to be very serious and Noctis didn’t see them getting any closer than they were right now. And for him, who was used to a friendly working atmosphere it would probably be a real challenge.

Lunchtime was filled with talks about the project and the siblings‘ medical work. There was a lot to learn and Noctis was glad his father was taking the lead of the conversation, writing down notes of everything. He wouldn’t have been able to keep track.  
They ended their meet up with warm handshakes at the door, striking up their cooperational project with the promise to start working on the specific products and contents from now.

Ravus and Luna were leaving for their car, when Luna turned around once more to wave at Regis and Noctis, Ravus only inclining his head once more.  
„Charming people to work with, wasn’t I right?“ Regis grinned at his son.

Noctis yawned. He was slowly starting to feel the tension drain from his body and the exhaustion from getting up early and having to keep up appearances kicking in.  
„I don’t know about that Ravus guy. He’s all serious and I don’t know what to make of him. Luna’s nice though. We had a nice chat when I showed her around in the atelier.“

Regis laughed and ruffled his son’s pitch-black hair. Noctis groaned.  
„Trust me, Ravus is a good man. He seems to be very eager about our project. So does his lovely sister.“ He turned to Noctis.  
„I am proud of you, Noctis. You did very well today. Your input at the meeting was very good and you were behaving a lot better than last time.“

Noctis rolled his eyes, a smile runing over his face.  
„You mean _last time_ when I had chocolate all over my face and somehow managed to spill my tea all over the dress of that lady and ran out of the room in embarrassment?“  
They laughed. Looking at it now it was kind of funny.  
Noctis had to fight back another yawn.

„But I’m stil tired as hell, dad. I’m going to flop onto my bed for a nap.“

Regis raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips in accusation.  
„Noctis, language.“

Noctis waved him off with a laugh and walked back inside.  
„No way. Official work is over now. You’ll find me in the atelier later, just in case you need something.“

As he stripped himself of his jacket and vest, Noctis felt the exaustion crash down on him. Seconds later he found himself buried into his cushion face foward, falling into deep sleep and dreaming of Tenebrae, Sylleblossoms and pastries.  
Noctis smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking your time to read and comment! It really means a lot to me!
> 
> Somehow, this chapter has slipped past my hands. I have huge problems in writing Ravus and Luna yet and I feel like something is off. I would have wanted to elaborate more on the meeting, but then again I don't have that much special knowledge to do so (even though I am doing my research).  
> Also: I wanted Ardyn to be more of a pestering guy but somehow that part ended up being really short. Sorry Ardyn, you'll get your spotlight, I promise...
> 
> This chapter leaves me very unsure and worried, so please let me know if there is something that bugs you, or something you'd like to know more about. There is quite a lot going on in my mind, so I hope I can structure this well enough to provide you with all this information. Of course I am happy to hear if you liked it as well!  
> I want to make this as enjoyable for you as possible, because for me everything is laid out and clear already. So help me letting you enjoy and tell me what you think!
> 
> Anyways, enough of my whining. Ignis will return from his vacation next time!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis comes home.

It was already dark when Ignis walked down the familiar Insomnian street in lantern shine. The nights had grown cold so he pulled up his scarf over his chin, the knitted wool gently scraping over his face.  
Coming back after almost a week back in Tenebrae always reminded him of when he had come to Insomnia for the very first time. Everything had been so new and excitement was almost tangible in the air. By now he had grown accustomed to the city, becoming only one of the many faces living here. Letting out a misty huff into the cool air, Ignis put on a blissful smile and fumbled in the pocket of his coat to fetch the keys.

The door lock clicked open smoothly and once inside, first thing after putting down his suitcase Ignis turned on the heater. As he waited for his rooms to warm up, he stripped off scarf and coat and hung them behind the door to the staircase. Back at his usual place behind the counter he took a look around.  
Everything was in order, just as he had left it behind a few days ago. The only thing that had changed was the thin veil of black dust clinging to everything. This was the thing bothering Ignis the most when he left for somewhere. Not being able to wipe over everything on a daily basis allowed the pollution and dust to take over, making nothing but extra work to keep the place clean. They didn’t have this kind of problem on the countryside, but then again many other things were much more cumbersome there.

After cleaning the lower floor he took a break and brewed some coffee. His uncle had given him two packs of the roast they used to drink when still living together and it felt fitting to have some of it as sort of bridge between the stay and what had by now become Ignis‘ normal life.  
Ignis still didn’t know where he felt more at home – Insomnia or Tenebrae. Having spent time with his uncle and talking with him about various things had made this clear. Sure was that Insomnia was the place where he had built up an existence on his own and that might be enough to call it home while Tenebrae harboured all those memories of his childhood. He always felt torn inbetween those two very different surroundings that were or had become a part of his life history.  
He was born in Insomnia, his parents having moved there from Tenebrae for a better life. But they had soon fallen victim to the sickness – the Shadow – with no prospect of cure and death already knocking at their door. Living in unfavourable surroundings, the dust in the air had quickly gotten a grip of their bodies, making their breaths grow heavy and painful. The doctor had told them that while hope was lost for them, Ignis might still have a chance to survive if he could grow up in surroundings with less pollution. This was why his mother had decided to let him live in Tenebrae with her husband’s brother, Ignis‘ uncle. It was a peaceful and happy time and he grew up as a healthy child yet Ignis had always had the feeling that something was missing. That he was constantly looking for something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, striving for more, searching for something lost. And now he was back in Insomnia, living his own life in the city where his parents had once been. Ignis sometimes asked himself what it was like to really feel at home.

Drinking his cup of coffee, Ignis busied himself with setting up a list of supplies to be gathered at the market the next day. He had already replenished the stock of everything that wouldn’t spoil immedately before he had left, so all he would have to do was to take care of the fresh ingredients. Looking through the menu he had to smile as he wrote down components for a new pastry creation he had come up with on his vacation. Ignis wondered if Noctis would be coming over.  
When the list was complete, Ignis locked the front door and heaved up his suitcase to take with him upstairs. There was more cleaning waiting on the upper floor but it was mostly dusting off the furniture. Nothing like wiping every single glass and cup on the shelves.

Strained from all the cleaning plus the long travel, Ignis decided to take a shower before heading to bed. With warm water gently flowing down his back he recalled the time he had spent with his uncle.  
For four years they hadn’t met and Ignis was shocked to see Delano Scientia remarkably aged since. Wrinkles had etched into the skin under his eyes, reminiscent of long working days and exhaustion. His dark brown hair had been streaked with numerous silver strands and age marks had begun to spread over his face and neck. Delano‘s cheeks had seen fuller days as well but with black coal taking over charcoal Ignis had figured that his business might be going through hard times. Despite this, his uncle had welcomed him with a smile and open arms as he always had, as if nothing had changed. „Now don’t look at me that way, I’m fine“, he had said, trying to cover up the fact that he was slightly limping and burns on his hands had significantly increased.

Ignis slid fingers through his wet hair, allowing the hot water sprinkle directly on his forehead.  
Apparently Ignis had changed too, if he was to believe his uncle’s words. „You have become a very handsome young man, Ignis“, Delano had said, putting his hand down on his nephew’s shoulder with a fond look on his face. „And you really look more and more like Stupeo. It’s almost laughable, really. What a shame my brother is not here to see you today. I think he would be proud.“  
His father. Ignis ran a thoughtful hand over his chin and wondered for a moment, if his life would have turned out the same way had his parents still been with him.

Delano had asked him about a girlfriend too. If he was planning on marriage any time soon. Just so he could get his business sorted out in time to help with preparation of course, as he had added. Ignis had been uncomfortable to see faint disappointment dimming down his uncle’s eyes, knowing that it was he himself who had caused it. But what else should he have said? He could not picture himself living with anbody else right now. Work barely left spare time for himself and he simply didn’t have any energy left to be caring about anyone else, let alone live with them. Ignis knew that him being prone to cleaning meticulously would probably be hard to deal with anyway, for both him and his potential partner, let alone the fact that he had never felt like opening himself up to anybody. Yet he couldn’t deny that he missed the feeling of being needed from time to time, the feeling of being cherished and belonging somewhere. Belonging to some _one_. Maybe this was the missing part to something he could call „home“.  
_Goodness, enough of this or the water bills are going to be terrific_ Ignis thought and turned off the warm water.  
He deemed it too late to still be reading, so after thoroughly rubbing his hair dry and changing into his pyjamas Ignis just slid under his blanket. The lingering warmth of the shower wrapped around him instantly and pushed him to sleep with a strong but gentle fist.

The morning knocked him out of a deep and dreamless sleep but Ignis forced himself to get his day going. Having experienced the luxury of extensive sleep and only few daily activities (such as helping his uncle to bring the house in order, taking care of minor fixing for various clothes and cooking) he had realised how strung up his everyday life actually was. He essentially had to function in order to hold everything together, just a bit of an unpredictable turn of things and he would probably end up helpless. This was not to come to pass. At least not because of something as simple as laziness. Time to hold on to dicipline and self control – two characteristics Ignis very proudly claimed as his.

Everything worked out, just the way it normally did. All mapped out routes, planned out errands and accurately timed tasks. Ignis strapped himself back into daily routine with ease, just as you never forget how to ride a bike. Shortly before twelve he installed the menu board outside and flipped his little doorplate back to _yes, we’re open_ , before heading back inside and wiping all the glasses and cups anew.  
He didn’t even get to polish up his first glass entirely as the door chime tinkled to announce guests.

„Heya Iggy! Had a nice vacation?“

„Prompto?“ Ignis was genuinely surprised as he saw the usual blond spikey mess wiggle toward him. „What are you doing here at this time of the day?“

„Hehee!“ Prompto rubbed his index finder under his nose. „You wouldn’t think so buuut, I’m actually here to have lunch for once.“

Ignis put down the cup he had been polishing and rested one hand on his hip. He blinked in irritation. „Ah, I’m afraid I cannot hand over anything yet. I just opened moments ago so nobody has left anything for me to put aside for you.“

„That’s fine because he’s with me. I invited him.“

The barkeeper pulled his eyes away from the happy freckled face to see the familiar figure of Noctis, casually closing the door.  
„Hey Specs. Welcome back.“

„Noctis. I, ah—thank you.“  
His black fringe brushed along his face as Noctis smiled at Ignis, leaving him struck by how his blue eyes stood out in contrast. He felt something soothing spreading in his chest and relaxed his face into a pleased smile.  
„It is nice to see you. Both of you. I was actually thinking about you while I was away. Have you been alright?“

„Yeah, pretty much I guess.“ Noctis answered as he took his seat at his usual place. „Business is running so I have to keep up with a lot of stuff. But I’m still managing some free time, so I guess it’s still in the limits.“

„This is good to hear“, Ignis answered before actually realising that both Noctis _and_ Prompto had come over. That Noctis was _inviting_ Prompto for lunch. This was irritating. He nudged his glasses.  
„But wait, how come you two actually know each other? I don’t recall any sort of connection between the two of you.“

The two boys exchanged some quick glances before Prompto spoke up.  
„Well, actually we met right here. You know, I found him sitting on the doorstep scribbling things and that’s why I started talking to him, right Noct?“  
Noctis hummed in confirmation.  
„He looked so lonely sitting there, hoping for you to maybe still come around. So I decided to keep company—waah!“

Suddenly a hand grabbed Prompto’s shirt from behind and pulled him away from the counter.  
„Thats... not how it was!“ Noctis had jumped from his chair and glared warningly at the blond.

„Dude, it totally was!“ Prompto returned, trying to wriggle himself out of his grip. It looked like some awkward dance that eventually turned into a simple pushing and pulling on fabric. Struggling for the freedom of his shirt he turned back to Ignis.  
„Really, Iggy. He looked so disappointed when I told him you’d be gone for some days? Didn’t you tell hi—aah, man Noct!“

Noctis had flung one arm around Prompto’s head, thoroughly twisting his other fist over his hair.  
„Stop playing things up so much! It wasn’t really that much of a big deal.“  
His blue eyes flickered over to Ignis, as if to check on his reactions.

Ignis was baffeled fairly enough by Prompto’s words and the closeness both him and Noctis had built up in only a short amount of time. If he was honest with himself he felt a bit left out. Even though he had been first to know each of them, those two seemed to be getting along much better than he ever had. But well, apparently Noctis had at least asked for him.  
Prompto had gone crouching on the floor by then, rubbing his head, while Noctis had decided to sit down again.

„I wasn’t aware of not having informed you of my vacation.“ Ignis grabbed two menus and made for the table. „Or that I would actually have to. But I’ll keep it in mind then.“  
He put one menu on Prompto’s place and handed the other over to Noctis directly.  
„My apologies.“ He smiled as Noctis pulled the menu out of his hand, averting his look.

„Yeah, it’s fine“, Noctis mumbled, burying his head deep into the menu.

„Prompto, I hope you don’t intend having your lunch on the floor though.“  
Ignis looked down onto the crouched person in front of him and nudged his foot. Prompto was still holding his head and looked up at him with half grin, half pout. He scrambled up and let Ignis pass.  
„Well then, I assume you still have to look over the menu for a while?“, Ignis asked, looking at the two. Noctis looked up from the menu he had been studying thoroughly, mockingliy arching both eyebrows. Ignis huffed out a laugh. „Besides the pastry that is?“  
This earned him a wide and content smile from the raven-haired boy. This pleased face somehow eased the tinge of bitterness he had felt earlier and he gave an amused smile in return.

„I’ve never really looked at your menu Iggy, please let me have a moment? It’s such a rare occasion, I have to go for, like, the best option. Not that I don’t know what you cook but having it delivered all warm and steaming, just right in front of you... aaaah, this has to be a totally new experience!“

The barkeeper raised a bewildered eyebrow at Prompto’s enthusiasm before he remembered something.  
„While you are busy making decisions then please excuse me for a moment. I will be back in no time.“

From the corner of his eye Ignis could make out Noctis shooting him a questioning glance before Prompto ordered his attention back to all the possibilities of food as he made for the stairs in the back room. On the upper level he quickly headed over to what served as his livingroom, and fetched two matchbox sized packages neatly wrapped from his desk. A blue and a yellow one. Ignis didn’t actually know what had gotten into him when getting them but questioning his decision now would serve nothing.  
When he went down the stairs, Promto still seemed to be worrying about his food.

„Aaah, it’s just that _everything_ is so good!! Iggy’s cooking skills are really a class above. I bet even _you_ don’t get stuff like that every day. ... Meh, maybe you do, but whatever!“

„No, Specs‘ cooking is really good“, Noctis replied. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. „But damn, that pastries get me every time.“

„Yeah, I totally get what you mean“, Prompto agreed. „Though I wouldn’t believe he could actually bake until I had a piece of those once.“

„And why did you assume this, if I may ask?“ Ignis appeared from behind the stock room door and let his two guests yank their heads over.

„Iggy, you startled me!“ Prompto whined, faking a face.

„There is nothing to worry about if you are not speaking ill of anyone?“ Ignis smugly returned. „So what made you think that way, Prompto?“

„You’re just rather the... cool type of person? I dunno.“ The blond shrugged. „Sweets just somehow don’t... fit your image?“

„I wasn’t aware I had an image, to be honest. You might want to elaborate?“  
Ignis had to hold back a chuckle that rose in the back of his throat as Prompto seemed to start panicking.

„Well—I er... Aaargh, Noct, come one, help me!“, he squeaked.

Noctis snorted and turned towards Ignis. The lanky man could feel those mystical eyes all over him, seeming to analyse every bit of his body. Even though it made him feel very exposed, a corner of his mind enjoyed being the focus of those eyes. He hadn’t thought anything like that before and Ignis already started questioning his mental state when Noctis disrupted this trail of thoughts.

„I think I know what you mean.“ Noctis puckered his lips and nodded meaningfully.  
„Specs has more the air of something... fancy? Like red wine and bitter chocolate, meat with refined seasoning and black coffee. Or in terms of colour: either dark and classy ones or hues of muted saturation, enough to show colour but still not too flashy. If... you know what I mean?“

It was quiet for a moment.  
Ignis was staring blankly at Noctis and didn’t know what to say. It definitely felt like a compliment, yet in such a curious way he couldn’t quite classify. At least being labeled „classy“ honoured him and he couldn’t deny that he indeed liked the things Noctis had brought up.  
_How does he do this?_ Ignis didn’t recall telling Noctis anything about his own likes and dislikes and having some of them laid out in front of him just like that felt very personal. As their eyes met Ignis couldn’t stop himself from neither drawing in a short breath through his nose nor his cheeks from flushing up.

„Whoa Noct!“ Prompto burst out in incredulous laughter. Both Ignis and Noctis winced at his sudden reaction. „Dude, now that was some awesome comparison. Immediately going over board with images, that’s a professional designer for you!“

Noctis seemed to be embarrassed as he propped up his face on one hand, covering everything but his eyes.  
„Argh, just... Aaah, drop it Prompto. You started.“ It was barely a mumble into the palm of his hand.

„Ahem.“ Ignis faked a cough and pushed his glasses back up his nose. „Let us just say that I am trying to achieve professional results in all the culinary fields, yes? Leaving that aside“, he slid over the little packages to Prompto and Noctis, „I brought this from my stay. It is... nothing of greater value I suppose but somehow they reminded me of you.“

After a exchange of surprised glances Prompto and Noctis started unwrapping. Prompto was the first one to toss the ripped paper aside and open the little box. A squeal of delight escaped him as he looked at it with big and happy eyes.  
„Oh. em. gee. It’s a Chocobo!!! Noct, Iggy got a little Chocobo for me!!“ Prompto waved around the little wood figurine in front of the other boy’s face. „Look at it! Isn’t it cute?! Those round black eyes, and the carving of the feathers!“ He yanked his head in Ignis‘ direction again. „This is so cool, thanks Iggy!!“

„I don’t think it’s worth that much excitement but I’m glad if you like it“, Ignis chuckled. „Tenebrae is the home of Chocobos after all.“

„Oh, oh, I know! Next time, bring a little chick with you? Pleeease?“

„Now don’t be ridiculous“, Ignis snorted. „You know very well that this is beyond my capabilites. The chick wouldn’t enjoy life in Insomnia either I’m afraid.“

Prompto kept on squeaking about Chocobos, repeatedly patting his little figure, while Noctis had only finished his unwrapping. He had carefully picked at the waxen seal that held his light blue paper together, folded it and laid it aside. The little box in his hand was nothing more than simple wood, but he appreciated the neat crafting and the veins marveling the surface. Noctis seemed hesitant to open it and for a second Ignis worried he might have overstepped. A moment later though, Noctis opened the box. Under the lid appeared another wooden figure, a small fox-like creature delicately carved and painted by hand.

Blue spheres of nightsky were directed at Ignis, wide in wonder.  
„It’s a lucky charm“, Ignis explained, diverting his eyes away from Noctis and onto the little sculpture. „This one is a rather known one. We call it—“

„Carbuncle, guardian of the dreams.“  
Ignis raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn‘t expected Noctis to know about it.  
„My dad used to read a book to me when we were on the countryside. About a prince who was taken down by a monster, that incident leading him to have neverending nightmares. But then Carbuncle would show up and guide him all the way home and out of the darkness. I really liked that story as a kid.“ A soft and thoughtful smile appeared on Noctis face as he talked about this nostalgic little part of his life. Watching him made Ignis‘ lips melt into a faint smile as well.  
„Thanks, Ignis. I really appreciate it.“

„Okay, got it!!!“  
Again, both Ignis and Noctis were startled by the sudden and loud outburst of their Chocobo loving friend.

„Got what?“ Noctis growled at Prompto with irritation. Ignis decided to wipe his glasses, just to keep himself busy.

„Kevin and I have decided on what to have for lunch!“, the blond triumphantly announced.

„Who’s Kevin?“ Noctis squinted and drew his brows together, almost as if looking at a really tiny object.

„That little guy here of course!“ Prompto held out the Chocobo souvenir. „I thought he just looked like... Kevin! So that’s his name!“

Noctis snorted ad let himself fall back into his chair.  
Ignis slid back his glasses on and expectantly looked at the two boys.

„Well then, gentlemen, what can I bring you?“

 

The chatter seemed to be neverending. While working on the meals behind the counter, Ignis was following his guests‘ talk and occasionally dropped one or another pointed comment. He couldn’t deny that with both Prompto and Noctis around it felt less like business, less like work and more like casually hanging out together. Maybe it was Prompto’s unpredictability that was changing the air and Ignis was thankful for it. He really enjoyed it. Nonetheless he felt a little sting of loneliness – no that was not what it was, but what was it then – when Noctis and Prompto were joking together. Noctis would sometimes swat Prompto’s arm and Prompto would kick back from under the table. It looked normal and carefree.  
Ignis tried to shake the impression of watching this from the point of view of an outsider as he put on a small amount of coffee on the stove. 

Shortly after Ignis had put Noctis‘ pastries into the oven, Prompto hopped to standing and took his leave. He said that he had made the promise to help out at the orphanage after lunch and that he already was late. Noctis was already unpacking his drawing materials, which meant that he’d be staying for a little while still. After a quick check on the oven Ignis saw Prompto to the door.

„Now then, I hope your day to be successful, Prompto. Take care“

„Sure thing Iggy!“ Prompto replied with a grin that made his freckles dance. „I won’t get in trouble, pinky promise!“

„And you are still without any fixed job, I suppose?“ Ignis sighed. This was bound to be a neverending story.

Prompto scratched the back of his head.  
„Haha, well, yeah. But hey, I can’t keep letting you down. You know, after telling Noct what’s going on in my life he suggested to regularly check on newspapers and black boards. I’m asking around too.“

Ignis‘ brow pulled together in a frown.  
„Wait, you... you spoke to Noctis about all this?“  
It had taken weeks until Prompto had finally started opening up to him. He had to admit that the fact that he had told Noctis in those few days of his absence stung.  
„So you value his advice more than mine then, I reckon?“  
The question came out more pointed than he had intended.

Prompto seemed to have noticed, as he curiously approached him, a wary smirk on his face.  
„Iggy, are you... jealous? Maybe?“

„Most definitely _not_!“, Ignis returned scandalised, crossing his hands above his chest.

„Just a bit? No?“  
Prompto seemed to have caught on the spark of jealousy that had lit up for just a second and he tried to tease something out of him. But Ignis only pressed his lips together and tilted his head accusingly. Prompto giggled.  
„Okay, my bad then. Gotta be going!“ The blond waved and vanished into the street, leaving behind a head shaking Ignis.

The bar got a lot quieter, now that the ever babbling and giggling ball of energy hat left. The bossa nova music was humming quietly in the background, accompanied by the flavour of coffee and buttery sweets.

„You really surprised me just now, Noctis“, Ignis said while cutting up an orange on his worktop. „I wouldn’t have thought you would... have relations with people from the street, to be honest.“

He could make out Noctis turning his head over to him from over the rim of his frames.  
„What? Prompto’s a good guy“, he answered with an audible grin. „And he’s your friend too, right? So I thought it’s okay to trust him. I mean, you do, right?“

„He is a good fellow indeed“, Ignis half smiled. He pulled out a plate and placed the fresh cut orange slices onto it. „Just a little reckless I suppose. Be sure to not get influenced too much? I assume your... daily surroundings might not approve of it.“

„Hey, I thought I said something about predjudices and stuff before? And I’m not really getting into trouble.“

„Right, you did. Apologies.“ Ignis turned around to take the pastries out of the oven.  
He heard Noctis drop his pencil and shoving his utensils aside.

„Don’t apologise, really. Just throw at me whatever you like, I don’t mind. As I said, no need to go all formal on me. I don’t like it.“

„Ah.“

Ignis arranged the pastries on the plate and switched off the kettle on the stove before rounding the counter. He was met with Noctis hands eagerly rubbing against another, his tip of the tongue peeking out from a corner of his mouth.  
„Man, I missed those.“

Ignis chuckled in amusement.  
„I have only been gone for about a week, Noctis?“

„No way“, he answered, putting the first bit of the steaming pastry into his mouth. „Feels a lot longer. Damn, they’re really good.“

„Coming back to our conversation earlier“, Ignis shifted his weight onto one leg, hand on his hip, „ _you_ certainly don’t match the image of a typical sweet tooth either, if I may say so.“

Blue lightning shot up to meet his eyes. Noctis‘ lips twisted into a curve of embarrassment.  
„Yeah, whatever, can we... not talk about that? It’s embarrassing enough. Those things just happen when you do this kind of job.“

„It was a new kind of experience for sure.“ Ignis averted his gaze and made for the kettle to pour himself a cup before coming back.  
„Care if I join you for a moment?“, he asked, lifting the coffee cup in his hand.

Noctis looked surprised but he nodded encouraging.  
„Sure, go ahead.“ 

„So, what have you been up to, Noctis?“, Ignis asked as he pulled back the chair. „You certainly didn’t spend your days on my porch, I suppose?“ 

Noctis hastily cleared his throat, wiping away crumbs from his lips with the back of his hand.  
„No! I, uhm... I have been working on a, er—new project?“, he answered vaguely.  
Ignis had the impression he was trying not to look at him but he just let him be. He didn’t want to be any bolder than he already was now. Sitting with a customer during business hours certainly was not his style, but he wanted to convince himself that he could also be friends with Noctis.

„I er... will talk to you about it some time... I guess?“, Noctis continued, now shooting him an insecure look.

Ignis raised his eyebrows and returned the gaze curiously.  
„Oh? Well, whatever you feel like. But don’t feel obliged, if you would?“

„No, no... I... will. A-apart from that I spent some time with Prompto, really. It was cool hanging out together. I got to know a bit about the places around, we have been to the market, some park and talked a lot. He talks a lot, huh“, Noctis grinned wryly.

„Indeed.“  
Ignis looked out of the window and took a sip of his coffee. They were really getting along pretty well, as it seemed. Something bothered him but he just couldn’t fathom, what exactly and why.  
„I must say I was honestly surprised to see you that close.“

Noctis chuckled.  
„That thought doesn’t leave you alone, does it? You’re being at it again. No, now don’t apologise!“

The brown haired man sighed into his cup with a smile, making the his glasses fog up for a second.  
„It’s fine, Noctis. It’s just something really unexpected.“

„Noct“, Noctis said out of the blue after a moment of silence.

Ignis shot him a questioning look.  
„Pardon?“

„That’s what Prompto calls me. Why don’t you just too?“

Ignis put down his cup in surprise.  
„I, ah... where does this come from now, if I may ask?“

Noctis shrugged.  
„I dunno. It’s just weird that Prompto calls me like that and you don’t? Feels off to me.“

The lanky man huffed out a silent laugh.  
„Now, now. I wasn’t saying that because I wan—“

„You didn’t mind me calling you ‚Specs‘ earlier either“, Noctis added, stuffing another bit of pastry into his mouth. „Might as well use my nickname too.“

 _Oh_.  
Ignis didn’t even realise Noctis had been calling him like that all the time. It irritated him how this detail could possibly have escaped him, after he had even reprimanded Noctis for the use.

„I feel like I’m having a déjà-vu“, Ignis smiled with a hint of resignation.  
„And I couldn’t escape it last time either, so I guess I don’t have a choice?“

Noctis turned away his head, locking his eyes on some undefined spot on the table.  
„You... don’t have to, if you don’t feel like it. I just thought...“  
His husky voice drifted away into mumbling.  
There it was again. That warm and soothing sensation blossoming in Ignis‘ chest. He couldn’t shake it off if he wanted to, so he rather dared to savour on it. He caught himself smiling widely and tried to tone down that facial expression a bit. He didn’t know if he had succeeded. What had he been jealous about before?

„It’s not an obligation, for sure. But again I guess you might want to give me some time to get used to it.“  
Ignis could make out the other boy‘s eyes flicker around nervously.  
„Noct?“

At the clearly articulated sound of his name the black haired head shot up again. There was something tugging on Noctis‘ lips.  
„Oh, er... cool. That’s cool!“ An awkward laugh escaped him, which made Ignis laugh as well.

„I really don’t know what I should make of you, Noct“, Ignis chuckled with a shake of his head and took another sip of coffee.

„I don’t get it that much either“, Noctis smirked. „I barely know what to make of me myself. I’m just... going with it.“

„Then let’s keep going and see what we will find, shall we?“  
The ring of those words had something cheesy to it but Ignis again couldn’t make out why. There were too many things he couldn’t grasp when being around Noctis. It felt a bit like wandering around without a map. He wanted to think of this in a good way.

The two of them talked some more until Ignis had finished his cup of coffee and spare other customers were coming in at just that moment. Ignis greeted them cheerily and engaged into a bit of small talk, while Noctis went back to his sketchbook.  
He was in a good mood and happy to be back to Insomnia. It felt a bit like home after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took me so long. I felt so discouraged after the last chapter somehow felt off, but I'm so thankful for all of your reassuring feedback comments. It really means a lot to me and helped me keep going. Thank you!!
> 
> Then Episode Ignis came and totally threw me off the rails, which is why the update got late again.
> 
> Somehow this story feels a bit like the "It's a small world" ride in the Disney parks |D  
> But I hope it's a nice ride~  
> There is drama and stuff to come, so I guess the slow boat ride might get wrapped up in thunderstorms. At least I will try my best to make it.
> 
> Talk to me about the story, Ignoct, FFXV in general and just all kinds of other stuff on my [tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/)!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis talks about his past.

„Aromatherapy?“  
Ignis pulled away his cup of Ebony blend and looked up from the newspaper.

„Uh-huh. I... heard that’s what it’s... supposed to be called.“

Noctis had his eyes locked on some indistinguishable sketch in front of him, yet Ignis had noticed the quick glance the blue eyes had shot at him. He lowered down his cup on their table before he neatly folded the newspaper back together to put it right next to it. 

It turned out to be quite a nice way of spending his break time, Ignis thought. Cleaning up the place hadn’t been much of work today so he had made enough time to read through a couple of things he hadn’t been able to before starting his noon shift. He would probably have done so either way but being able to chat about various subjects inbetween was definitely enjoyable. Ignis decided that it had been a good choice to let Noctis stay, even after the regular opening hours. After all he wasn’t really much of a nuisance and kept busying himself with his paper and pencils. He didn’t really need to be looked after and stayed calm most of the time. Besides, Ignis wouldn’t have felt comfortable kicking Noctis out into the rain, when he didn’t even bring an umbrella.

„Interesting“, Ignis returned, thoughtfully taking another sip from his cup.  
„The Nox Fleurets are quite the professionals in their field, so knowing them to be working out a new medical approach definitely sounds intriguing. As the word is implying, it is involving different varieties of scents, I reckon?“

Noctis put down his pencil to take another bite of the pastries he had wisely ordered just before closing time. Of course still in time enough to have them dutifully prepared by the bar owner without leading to overtime issues. Today’s special was walnut ganache with whipped cream, which apparently hit Noctis‘ mark very closely. Still they couldn’t compete with the original flavour either, as he had declared to Ignis.

„Yeah, I think that’s what it’s going to be about.“ Noctis swallowed and ran his thumb over his lower lip to remove any leftover crumbs.  
„So, what do you think about it? Think it could work?“

„That is a good question indeed“, Ignis answered, resting his arm on their table, fingers still curled around the handle of his cup.  
„I would definitely say that... odours of any kind can influence people’s perception of wellbeing. The scent of a flower is something more appealing than what your nose would catch on from sewers after all. But I somewhat cannot picture the way odours could be implemented for medical treatments. You don’t possibly have any further information to elaborate on I suppose?“  
Ignis crossed his legs under the table and looked at his discussion partner with an interested face.

„I know, it sounds crazy, right?“, Noctis put down the half eaten pastry onto his dish. „But yeah, actually I do.“  
He propped up his chin on the knuckles of his left hand, seemingly studying the notion of curiosity washing over Ignis‘ face with a crooked smile.  
„They’re trying to use flavours to make medicine less bitter and easier to swallow, for a simple example. Not really a change of medical effect but more of convenience? And Lun—Lady Nox Fleuret apparently plans on using flavoured balms and mists and so on to help cure psychologic diseases. Of course it’s not clear yet if it really works out, but they’re testing all kinds of stuff. Ah, they’re working on a way to cure The Shadow too. Or at least to ease the symptoms. There is talk about essences that make it easier to breathe and calm down the cough and pain. They want to try on stanching the inner bleedings and reducing the decay of the skin too, even though this has not so much to do with the aromatherapy stuff. But that’s why they actually came to Insomnia. A-at least that’s what I heard“, Noctis added hastily before he took another bite of his pastry. As there was no answer he looked up at Ignis again, only to see his eyes and mouth wide in something between panic and suprise, his face pale.  
„Hey... Specs are you... are you alright? Did I say something weird?“

Ignis jerkily tilted his head, exhaling a clipped breath. He ran a hand through his groomed fringe and tried to catch himself again. Everything connected to this horrible sickness used to strike him hard. It brought up pictures to his head he had meant to erase from his mind long ago. He actually thought he might have finally gotten past this extreme sort of reaction but apparently he hadn’t. Ignis slid down his glasses as he felt the sudden urge to wipe them clean.  
„I ah... no, it’s nothing. There is nothing weird to it.“  
He settled his freshly cleaned frames back onto the bridge of his nose and looked at Noctis, who was eyeing him with a worried frown behind his bangs. Ignis clasped his hands together on the table, fumbling around with his fingers.

„My apologies for this... reaction of mine. I didn’t think it would still be this bad“, Ignis said, focusing on his own hands.One hand flew back to his glasses then, this time simply to adjust them.  
_Calm down_ he ordered himself, drawing in long and deep breaths. He couldn’t let himself lose composure in front of Noct right now. He didn’t want to offend him.  
Said Noctis was still wearing the concerned frown over his questioning eyes.

„It is just, ah...“ Ignis hesitated. He usually didn’t talk about this subject. It would bring back memories and pictures he had tried so hard to forget. But something inside of him made him feel like he wanted to. He felt like he could trust the young man with the night sky eyes in front of him. Ignis wanted to believe that talking about this to Noctis would make it better.

„By all means I don’t want to bother you with... private matters. Rather unpleasant ones I must add.“  
_Even though I would like to tell you._  
Ignis felt bile rising up in his throat and he swallowed hard. He couldn’t just burden Noct with this after all. That was a selfish thing to do.

„That’s not a bother to me, Ignis?“  
Ignis eyes snapped back up. Noctis was still looking at him warily but his open hands were inviting him to speak.  
„You don’t have to of course but...“ He pursed his lips. „I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. Didn’t mean to do that. Just... tell me, if you feel like?“

Ignis brow twitched and he bit down onto the inner part of his lower lip. Something inside him _definitely_ felt like telling him. Maybe he only had needed Noctis‘ invitation just to push him over the edge and stop being so hesitant.

„Alright then.“  
Ignis drew in a deep breath.  
„Tell me if... you don’t want to listen anymore, I beg you. I trust you to do that?“

Noctis‘ hair swung back and forth as he quietly nodded, propping up his chin on folded hands and waiting attentively.  
He had the permission. Now he had to talk.

„It actually is the first time I am talking about this, so ah... I apologise if things seem not well ordered.“  
Ignis squeezed his hands until the knuckles started to turn white. He never knew he could be that nervous.  
„Noct, as you already know I grew up in Tenebrae. Before leaving for the city of Insomnia I spent most of my life there on the countryside together with my uncle.“

„Your uncle?“  
Noctis‘ question quietly lingered in the room for a brief moment.

„Exactly. You must know, I was actually born here, in Insomnia. My parents moved here to start something of their own, yet soon enough they would... The... sickness, if you understand.“

„Oh...“  
Ignis could make out how Noctis‘ eyes darkened down.

„Yes. Apparently it... was too late for any kind of treatment when they finally went to see a doctor. But somehow it seems that I hade been spared. The fine particles had brought them a threat that was eating them away, but before it did, they left me with my uncle Delano, to grow up in clean and healthy surroundings. To ensure that they could still... give me a proper life.“  
Ignis could feel his eyes burning at the edges as he remembered the happy pictures of his parents in the family album his uncle was keeping so dearly. Wondering what it could have been like meeting them, a wish he would never be granted.  
He took another deep breath, trying to wipe away whatever wanted to come up behind his eyes and move on. Noctis was still listening silently.

„The years with my uncle were enjoyable ones. I wasn’t lacking anything and he tried his best to bring me up to a person, both he and my parents could be proud of. Delano is running a small charburner business, so of course I too was to be educated to continue this business sometime. Yet, although I was granted this opportunity, I... I didn’t feel like this was what I should be doing, as pretentious as it sounds. I felt... a longing for something bigger.“

„And that’s what brought you back to Insomnia?“  
Carried by the calming sound of Noctis‘ voice Ignis nodded.

„Yes. Even if it sounds like a childish dream, I... I have always wanted to open up a café. A place to relax, read books, enjoy good food, music and coffee. And then... I held up that romantic illusion of being able to be closer to... my family I have lost. Of course, in the light of rationality this is nothing but a ridiculous thought, yet it was what kept me going and what brought me here.“  
Ignis noticed that he had gotten a bit more composed again and allowed himself to take another sip of his coffee.

„Well, sounds like your plan worked out pretty well?“  
Noctis gestured around the room with one hand.  
„All of this? Seems pretty much like a dream come true.“ He obviously tried to lift up the mood but Ignis could see that he would still be listening to what was to come.

„It seems so I suppose, yet I’m afraid it is not. Most of all I lack time and also financial means to brush the place up to a level I personally would like it to be. I cannot partake of courses to refine and build up the skills of mine to a decent degree and, honestly spoken my life basically consists of work. I hardly consider this as an ideal state of things. One might even go so far as to call it pitiful.“  
A sad smile dripped from Ignis‘ lips.  
„But then again it feels like I have come quite far. I am making my own living at least and everything I own is what I achieved by myself. Things had been quite different when I first arrived in Insomnia. There had been this notion of adventure, eagerness and motivation. Of course with barely eighteen I dared to aim high – I still do. But I made the mistake to turn a blind eye on my financial situation. I thought I had come prepared, yet not well prepared enough. I simply lacked the money to just open up a place like this out of nowhere, which is why I had to look for a job first. Eventually I ended up in... one of the coal-fired power plants in the outskirts.“

Noctis drew in a sharp breath.  
„Whoa, that’s... kinda—“

„Unexpected? Indeed, I can imagine.“  
Ignis tried to pull his mouth into a smile but somehow he had the feeling that it wasn’t working out well enough. He dreaded this chapter of his life.  
„No need to tell you that it was hard work. Not that I actually mind working hard. And the wages were good but it was really drenching me of all power. It is not that pleasant to come home – home being a small single room in one of the downtown’s shared houses – drenched and dirty from a day’s work only to shower and fall into bed and repeating this every single day, no days off. But picturing what I was working for so hard, it was somewhat endurable. Until the day I was reminded why I actually had grown up in Tenebrae.“

Ignis paused briefly, trying to chase away the pictures being projected in his head. Some raindrops chased down the window. Noctis was still quietly listening, not the slightest hint of wanting to stop this monologue of his.

„It was... quite a horrifying experience to... actually be directly confronted with the sickness people are calling... The Shadow.“ Ignis had to force himself to keep on talking. His words coming out in clipped pieces.  
„Have you ever... _seen_ what it looks like?“

Noctis shook his head.  
„All I really know is that you... don’t really want to know. I’ve been shielded from it pretty well I guess.“

Ignis nodded in confirmation.  
„Good. I truly hope it will stay that way. This is not something one actually should be witnessing.“

„But you did?“

Ignis inhaled sharply and nodded at Noctis with pursed lips.  
„Yes.“

„Tell me. I need to know.“  
The resolve behind Noctis‘ stern words startled Ignis. He had been hundred percent sure that the other would stop the conversation at this point. Instead he asked him to continue. Ignis quickly thought about talking Noct out of this but then again reminded himself that he already had walked over the edge of his guard. He could as well go down all the way then.

„It... actually started with some of my coworkers‘ cough growing alarmingly unwell. There was a cold spreading at that time and... we all thought nothing bad of it. Then one of them started coughing up blood. He broke down next to me right afterwards... Exhaustion they said at first. A week later he was back, deep shadows under his eyes and wheezing with every breath. I asked him if he shouldn’t be staying in bed instead but he just... shook it off smiling, saying it was alright and that he needed the money. I saw him growing paler day by day, the skin on his face and hands starting to flake and show dark spots that definitely didn’t stem from the coal we were working with. One day he... he started... throwing up black pulp of vile smell out of the blue. His breaths were ragged and dark liquid was dripping from his mouth. I had never noticed before but his eyes had turned dull, their whites changed to grey. He was quickly brought to the nearest hospital. This is where I went to see him for the last time. He... had taught me a lot about the power plant and I couldn’t just... I felt like I had to at least properly thank him for everything. It... Heavens, Noct you cannot possibly imagine how much of death a still living body can harbour. The stench of decay, skin and flesh flaking off in black shreds, the wheezing sound of every shallow breath...“  
Ignis snatched away his glasses from his face, put them down in front of him and nervously ran a hand over his face.

„I... I remember showering a lot afterwards. I felt dirty all the time and no matter how much I scrubbed that feeling wouldn’t go away. And to think that... my parents, well... Knowing their fate must have looked quite similar, it... hurt. The worst part of it was when I started to hallucinate those black marks and spots on my arms and this is when I decided to leave this place for good. I struggled to secure this place here and by now I managed to stabilise this. I... had severe issues with pollution for quite a long time but by now I managed to cut it down into a regular cleaning routine.“

Ignis sighed and rubbed at his forehead before he carefully lifted his eyes towards Noctis. The words had just worked their way out without any chance to really stop them.  
„Noct, I ah... Apologies. This... got a little out of hand and I talked way too much. Please forgive me that unbridled monologue of mine. Just... thinking about a possible cure for this terrible disease—it... brought up those memories and thoughts.“  
He suddenly felt like he had given away too much. He feared he might appear disgusting and vulnerable. Ignis‘ fingers itched to wipe over his glasses again.  
He was almost startled by Noctis speaking up.

„Don’t apologise, I’m good.“  
Ignis saw him pulling up his lips into a wry but compassionate smile and bringing up one hand to scratch his neck.  
„Wow... you’ve got it quite hard, huh. Wouldn’t have thought that. I, er... I‘m sorry Ignis. Shit, now I feel really bad for asking.“

„It is nothing“, Ignis replied, collecting his frames from the table again.  
„I just need to control those kind of emotions better. I must admit I have been better concealing such things before.“

„No.“ Noctis shook his head and looked Ignis straight into the eye.  
„There is nothing good about locking stuff away. Believe me, I would know“, he added with a grin.  
Ignis raised a questioning eyebrow.  
„What I mean is, if there’s anything bothering you, you can talk about it. Share the load, If you feel like? I mean, if it makes you feel better about it.“

Ignis closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment. It had been quite some pressure talking about his past. Private things, things that worried him. Somewhere deep down he might have even had feared to be discarded for actually speaking about them with someone. People having been in contact with The Shadow usually were not very well looked upon either . But in the end he hadn’t been shaken off. At least as far as Noctis was concerned. The pictures in his head were still there as well but they had lost a hint of their ferociousness. He felt lighter indeed.  
He took a deep breath before opening his eyes again.

„Thank you, Noct. I think it does. I... I will.“

„Great.“  
Noctis relaxed back into his chair again. Ignis could see that something behind those eyes was ticking and working still but he really didn’t seem to mind too much. Instead Ignis got the impression, Noctis was trying to loosen up the atmosphere a bit, trying to lighten up the mood again.  
„Jeez, and all of this just because I asked you about aromatherapy. Really, I feel bad.“

„Now come on, it is quite alright“, Ignis assured.  
„I was... bound to talk about this sometime anyway. I should apologise on my behalf again that it was you, but this would only lead us into an endless ring of apoligies. We might want to avoid that.“  
Both of them chuckled and the tension that had been in the air slowly started slipping away.  
„But coming back to the plans of the Nox Fleuret family, that’s quite an impressive intel you have there, Noct.“ 

Noctis had just stuffed the remains of his pastry into his mouth and suddely seemed like choking on it. Ignis quickly rounded the table and swatted his palm against Noctis‘ back, until the latter raised his hand as ok-sign.  
He was still coughing when Ignis rushed back to the table with a glass of water in hand.

„Aaah, damn, sorry for that. I know it’s a bad habit.“ Noctis took another gulp of water before the coughing faded again.  
„But, yeah. I er... have been working around business with... scents and stuff. Like, the people making them, er... working really close to my space? So I caught the chatter of some of my coworkers, you know?“

„Ah, that sounds quite interesting. I assume this to be a very fulfilling job, especially when you have to closely work with scent creators themselves.“  
Ignis amusedly patted his index finger against his lower lip to signal Noctis there was still some ganache left on his mouth. Noctis quickly licked his lips in embarrassment.  
„And if I am not mistaken you are rather fond of fragrances, right?“

Noctis looked at him with round eyes, both eyebrows pulled up under his fringe.  
„Uhm. Y-yeah, you could say that I guess?“

„You use to put some on yourself. I noticed the time we had been shaking hands“, Ignis explained, taking away the emptied tray and cup and putting them onto the counter.  
„May I ask what it is you are wearing?“  
It almost felt inappropriate asking but the words were already out.

„Sylleblossom“, Noctis answered after a heartbeat of silence.  
„The main part of the composition is Sylleblossom.“

 _Ah._  
So that was why he had had this familiar notion. In the past he had often been to the Sylleblossom farms with his uncle. The fields were beautiful when the flowers were in full bloom. What an odd coincidence. It was a scent he had grown accustomed to, a part of his childhood, something reassuring and soothing.  
Ignis felt his heart skip a beat and hoped that it was not a harbinger of a soon-to-break fever. He didn’t really feel ill though.  
„I see.“ His lips curled into a gentle smile. „I like it.“

Behind him Noctis was making an undefined sound, followed by another gulp of water.  
„Uhm, thanks. I... like it too?“  
Ignis turned around to see Noctis twirling the hair in his neck with one hand, facing away from the counter. He was sure to see a glow of red dusted over his ears.

„Ah, forgive me. I... didn’t mean to be pushy, Noct.“  
Suddenly this situation felt very awkward and Ignis decided on starting to wash up those dishes, just to busy himself. What was he feeling that self-conscious for? He hadn’t done anything shameful in particular, had he?

„No, no, it’s fine.“ Noctis waved his hand at Ignis, his face still turned away from the counter.  
„I’m just not used to... I mean... ah, never mind. Cool you like it too.“

The room fell silent then again, and the soft tune in the background sounded cheerful and light. A notion of anticipation was lingering in the air until Noctis eventually packed his belongings and got up to leave.  
„The atelier is still calling today, you know?“, he casually flung at Ignis, who had retreated on a stool behind the counter to read.  
„Rain has stopped too, so I better make tracks.“

„I understand“, Ignis returned with a smile as he laid his book aside.  
„Again, thank you very much for listening, Noct. It... means a lot to me.“

„No big deal“, Noctis returned, looking down sheepishly.  
„Thanks for letting me stay? I hope I wasn’t bothering you too much. Stole your precious break time?“

„By no means. You are not a bother to me, Noct. Although I must admit I had my doubts at first.“

„Wha—?!“ Noctis head snapped up and Ignis couldn’t decide if he was shooting him an angry, or worried look. In fact it was not even a lie. Ignis had been worried for a moment but simply because he was the one not being used to having company. He just had decided he would like to give it a try.  
The face he was presented now was priceless and somewhat endearing, Ignis couldn’t help himself but burst out in laughter.

„Oh Noct, I know my humour strikes very particular and uncommon chords, but this was actually meant to be a joke.“  
Ignis tried to mute his laugh into a chuckle, whereas Noctis still didn’t seem to know what to make of this, gawping at him in confusion. In order to wake him from what seemed to be a funny stupor, Ignis lightly swatted the side of Noctis‘ shoulder.  
„Really, it was nice having you around. Don’t you worry.“

„M-man, don’t mess with me Specs.“  
Noctis managed a crooked grin and awkwardly returned the swat.  
„Alright, really gotta go now. Thanks again.“

„See you around then?“, Ignis asked as he opened the door for Noctis.

„Yeah. Next time... I’ll be the one talking, so brace yourself.“  
Noctis gave a quick salute with his hand before he walked out of the bar. Wondering what he might get to hear at his next visit, Ignis waved as Noctis turned around once more. He was smiling.

„I will.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, I worried about this! I started writing the conversation without a clear guideline and that's what both of them seemed to be wanting to talk about. So there we go, an Iggy background chapter.  
> I was in need of a bridge to the next point in the plot I have in mind, and somehow it got rather emotional and dialogue and content heavy.
> 
> I... hope it's still fitting the characters and that the turns I took were not too quick-paced.  
> And of course I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think :3
> 
> You are also free to come yell at me on my [tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/) anytime!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fog lifts.

Days passed by and Noctis didn’t show up. Of course, Ignis wasn’t expecting him to come over on a daily basis. It had never been that way and there was absolutely no obligation for him to do so. But then again admittedly Ignis wouldn’t mind if he did. And it would be a lie to say that he was not finding himself waiting for Noctis, hoping he hadn’t appeared too weird the last time they spoke.  
Ignis also couldn’t deny that he was curious about what Noctis would want to reveal to him. It had probably something to do with his own background, after what Ignis had revealed himself at Noctis‘ last visit. But then again what made him so sure? It could be something entirely different.

_Goodness. I’m way too eager on getting to know this specific bit of information._

Shaking his head under a self-disapproving sigh Ignis went to see for the letterbox he had been neglecting.   
All in all it hadn’t really been what one would call ‚his day‘ until now. First he had gravely overslept. By the time he had been able to crack open his eyes, the little gap under his bedroom door had let pass too much light by far, which led to Ignis hastily half-falling out of the bed, only to realise that it had been already too late for the daily market tour. _Might want to go for a buying ahead routine from now on, just in case_ , he thought under his brisk shower.  
Second, because he had been rushing his shave Ignis had somehow managed to cut open a spot on his throat. Gladly enough the cut had not been too deep but it had kept bleeding for a fair amount of time, only worsening his restlessness.  
And then, just loud enough to hear there was this constantly nagging voice inside his head, whispering to him. That he had grossed out a friend. That he had given in to show weakness. And that this was why Noctis would not come around anymore.

Ignis smashed the lid of the letterbox close a hint too hard, so he carefully checked if some of the varnish had come off right afterwards. Luckily enough it hadn’t.  
After examining the mail – nothing too spectacular: the newspaper as usual, and the gas bill due end of the month – he noticed a smaller envelope of a faint blue colour. He had never gotten anything alike. The letters from Delano were in normal format, made out of the typical yellowish crinkled paper. That one was of different quality, smooth and sturdy and in a rather peculiar size. It was not much bigger than a telegram. 

With a frown slowly lowering down on his eyes, Ignis made for the inside again, turning that envelope around. His own address was written on the front in neat and elegantly curved handwriting, while on the back no sender could be found.  
 _Curious_.  
Ignis opened the envelope and pulled out a little card of a thicker paper than its wrapping but of exactly the same blue. The letters on it were written in that same handwriting, dark blue ink against lighter surface.

_to Ignis_  
 _Work turned out to be really busy, so I’m sorry for not coming over. I hope I can make time soon enough. And as promised, next time it’s my turn to talk._  
 _Don’t go on any holiday again so I can still find you, okay?_  
_Noctis_

Ignis had to read it twice, to actually let it seep in. The building frown had dissolved and he was just staring at the piece of paper, letting his eyes dance over the inked words over and over again. That was Noctis‘ writing. And a rather elegant one. Seeing those lines let the uneasiness in Ignis settle, gently pushing it down his stomach and somehow strengthening him in return. Everything was alright. He had been fussing over nothing.  
 _I didn’t realise I was that prone to worrying._  
A helpless chuckle escaped the upward curled lips as Ignis put the letter away into the back room together with the other mail. It was a bit shocking yet amusing finding his mood lifted that easily.

With a smile tugging on his mouth Ignis went back to the bar’s main room again, as the chime rang. The well known bulky figure of the chief officer squeezed through the door frame, greeting Ignis with a salute to the cap of his uniform.  
Ignis noticed something was off as soon as he spotted the grim line of lips on Gladio’s face.

„Good day, Gladiolus. Is... something the matter?“

„Sorry to bother you Ignis but, seems like you’re the only one we can ask about this.“  
Gladio crossed his arms in front of his wide chest, muscle pulling at the seams of his uniform.  
„We just had stuff going on at the market and we need your witness statment.“

Ignis frowned.  
„I don’t quite know if I can be of use in that matter. I didn’t even make it to the market this morning.“

„Yeah. Noticed that already“, Gladio returned in a reassuring tone, lifting one hand. „I was wondering if you’re okay. But we just need to confirm some stuff. No worries, it’s nothing about you. Really, sorry to bother you.“

„Well, it is not really a bother, but could you maybe—“

„No, no, _no_! Lemme go!“  
Ignis jumped at the sudden commotion, curiously enough involving a well known voice. He closed his eyes, hoping that he was mistaken for a moment but as the door swung open with a tinkle once more, a well known messy blond tuft was shoved into the room. His hands were held on his back by Aranea who had little struggle to keep those skinny hands where they were.

„Prompto.“  
The word was nothing but an exhale.

„Help, Iggy, please! Tell them I’m not one of the bad guys! They won’t believe me!“, Prompto whined while he was trying to wriggle himself out of the iron grip of the police lady behind him. He looked at Ignis with panic-lit eyes.

Gladio took some steps forward to press his hand onto Prompto’s shoulder in order to stop the boy’s struggling. His hand looked ridiculously big on those scrawny and slim shoulders.  
„So“, Gladio looked at Ignis again. „You know that one? He told us you would.“

Ignis inhaled a strained breath shifting his weight onto one leg with one hand on his hip.  
„Well, I actually do, yes.“ Ignis could make out hope sparking up in Prompto’s eyes but he only pursed his lips reproachfully in response.  
„May I ask what the matter is?“, he asked the two officers, who had exchanged surprised glances.

„Little pipsqueak here was trying to steal stuff from the booths“, Gladio answered, gesturing in Prompto’s direction. „We’ve been watching him for a while now because we thought he was acting fishy. Today we caught him in the act.“

„B-but, I put it back! I didn’t really take it! Please, you can’t, just—aaahahaa!!!“  
Prompto squeaked as Aranea twisted his wrist a bit more.

„You still took it, boy. And you’re not going to babble yourself of that“, Aranea smugly hissed and Prompto started to sniffle. She seemed to be actually enjoying the tease.

„Did you know he was stealing stuff?“, Gladio asked.

„Uhm... I ah, never _witnessed_ it but I was assuming he was. I have constantly been trying to tell him out of it“, Ignis glared at Prompto, „but apparently he chose not to listen.“  
Prompto seemed to shrink at every word.

„Well then. Highwind, get that boy out of here and prepare the cell at—“

„No! Please, no!! I _promise_ I’ll never do it again! Iggy, you can’t just let them take me away!“

„Hold your tongue boy. You knew what you were in for.“

„Please, I‘m begging you—“

„That’s quite enough!“  
Ignis bellowed through the room and the scrabbling of feet died down instantly, their raised voices falling silent.   
„Prompto, stop acting like a child. I told you it was no good to rely on such methods to live through the day and now you will have to take responsibility for it. There is no use in fighting the law and I have told you quite often enough. And Officer Highwind“, Ignis turned to the silver haired woman, „I would kindly appreciate if you were a little less rough on that friend of mine. I assure you he is good at heart, even if a little irresponsible.“

A few seconds of silence ticked away after Ignis‘ resolute words had slipped from his lips into the air. None of the others had seen him that self confident and hard on his use of words before and the surprise was almost tangible.  
Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head before he spoke up again, his voice lowered to a normal volume again.  
„Now then. Officer Highwind, I suggest you take Prompto into custody with you for now. Prompto, you might want to follow the lady without further ruckus. And, Gladiolus... I’d like to have a word with you.“ He shot a meaningful look at the brown eyes of the officer in charge.

„Since when are you giving the orders, handsome? Didn’t know we’re working in the same field“, Aranea lashed back with a pointed tongue.

„Yeah, right. We’ll do as he says“, Gladio said, nodding at Ignis.

„Wha—hold it! Since when is there some kind of friendship bonus with the police, Amicitia? That’s nonsense. We have a thief. And we’re going to lock him up. Simple as that. _You_ ‘re always the one fussing about justice and –“

„Yeah. And that’s exactly why I’m going to have a talk with Ignis here. You take that boy with you and wait for me at the quarters“, Gladio broke Aranea off in mid-sentence. „I feel there’s more to it than meets the eye.“

Aranea raised a disbelieving eyebrow, vehemently dropping the wrists she had been clasping tight onto her suspect’s back.  
„No shit.“

„Yeah, no shit“, Gladio repeated. „That’s an order.“

„ _Fine_ , whatever.“  
She turned to Prompto, who was nervously rubbing his wrists.  
„Then come along shortcake. No moping, no running, got it?“

Prompto looked at Ignis, seeking for any kind of help. Ignis pursed his lips and raised both eyebrows into a „I told you so“-face, a hint of compassion scurrying over his brows. Prompto looked down to the floor in silent response and trotted out of the door Aranea was impatently holding open.  
„I’m going to catch up soon“, Gladio flung at her, only to meet rolling eyes before the door closed shut again.

Ignis ran a hand through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh.  
„Honestly, I told him _countless_ times“, he said as he gestured over to the stools, inviting Gladio to have a seat.

„So, that guy’s really a friend of yours, huh.“  
Gladio laid down his cap onto the counter and let himself fall onto one of the stools.  
„Thought he was lying to us.“

„No, by all means“, Ignis took a cup from the shelve and quickly polished it up. „Prompto is not what you would call a good liar. Even a blind could make out if he was. Tea?“

Gladio nodded, stretching his arms behind his back.  
„So, what do you got to tell me about—what’s his name again?“

„Prompto“, Ignis returned, setting up a kettle of water.  
„I don’t know if he possesses any kind of family name. The boy grew up in Mrs. Elshett’s orphanage, you must know.“

„Ah, shit. That kind of story“, Gladio grunted. He fiddled with the crest on his cap.  
„So, what now? You’re trying to talk me into letting him run off just like that?“

Ignis pushed his glasses back up his nose.  
„Well, as much as I would like to, I am aware that there are rules to be played by. Besides, it would serve as a good lesson to learn for him.“ He measured the tea to put into the teabag while talking. Prompto had shown more resolve to find a job, especially after he had gotten to talk to Noctis. „You know, I noticed that he was rather eagerly looking for a job lately. I had already told him to do so for some months already, but he seemed to be finally moving. Honestly, I would not want this motivation of his to go to waste.“  
The police officer was listening to him with raised brows.  
„What I mean is, that... I would like to ask you if you could make him... work instead of locking him up, maybe? He is a rather skilled person, even if he might not look like it.“

Gladio snorted.  
„So you _are_ trying to get him off the hook.“

„Prompto is a friend of mine and all I can do is assure you that deep down he is a good person. And a helpless and messy one. Getting him to work might actually do him well.“

The kettle screeched under the heat of the boiling water. Ignis turned off the gas and poured some of it into the cup he had prepared in advance.

„Alright. I’ll see what I can do.“  
The steaming cup that was placed in front of him gave off a fresh and delicious scent.  
„But seriously, you’re being too nice“, Gladio smirked, shaking his head. „Never seemed like the caring type that much to me, to be honest.“

„Is that so?“  
Ignis smiled calmly as he prepared a cup of coffee for himself. Some time ago he would have signed this sort of statement without questioning. But he felt like caring a bit and so he just went with it.  
„I will leave Prompto in your hands for a while then. I am sure there are plenty of tasks you would like to shove off to someone, am I right Gladiolus?“ He gave a smug smirk, peeking over the rims of his glasses as he was pouring the hot water into the filter.

Gladio made an amused sound as he sipped on his cup of tea.  
„Yeah, you bet. Those tons of paperwork are killing me. But no, there is a bigger issue to be taken care of.“ He put down his cup with a soft clink onto the saucer.

„Oh? Do you have any scheduled duties coming up?“, Ignis asked as he went for the storage room to dispose of the used filter.

„You could say that. We’re going to be on duty to keep the Nox Fleurets safe on some official event going on. Don’t know when exactly, but the Insomnian headquarters will let us know in the next weeks. There’s talk about them and some other important officials meeting. Surely some shady guys could be plotting something. We’re gotta be there to ensure their safety.“  
Gladio took another gulp of his tea.  
„That said, many of the new recruits are down with flu so we’re running low on people. Might as well put him in there and have him train till then.“

„Now doesn’t that sound nice“, Ignis replied from the back-room.  
He checked over quickly what he had in stock still and what he might have to get at one of the bigger markets in the upper ring later. He would have to get his second pair of shoes resoled lateron anyways, so he could as well make use of that opportunity to get at least some fresh ingredients, even if they were pricier than at the local market. But then again it had been his own fault to sleep in and as the market nearby was closing around noon, things couldn’t be helped.

„I dunno if we can make that scrawny body of his work the way we need to, but it’s better than nothing. Good idea. How come you—whoa.“  
Ignis found Gladio chuckling at him when he came back from the storage room. The man in front of him was running his eyes over him funnily.  
„Didn’t know you were the type for showing cleavage Ignis“, he grinned.

Ignis was confused.  
„I don’t know what you are talking about. There is nothing— _oh_.“  
When he looked down at his chest he understood. For whatever reason the upper button of his shirt had decided to pop off, exposing his collarbone.  
„Ah, drat. When did this happen?“  
He fumbled around in the drawers in front of him to pull out a needle, sticking his shirt together with it to make up for the lost button.

„Not your day?“, Gladio grinned.

„And what makes you think so?“, Ignis returned pointedly.

The bulky man tipped his finger against his throat.  
„Cut yourself this morning? Never saw that one happen before. Your hair looks a bit messier than usual too.“

Of course it did. With his neatly planned routine in pieces, Ignis had skipped on brushing through his hair after the shower. This would let the soft natural curl take over his hair, the one he otherwise liked to straighten out to keep it sleek.  
„Well yes, things like that do happen from time to time“, Ignis grumbled before lifting his cup to finally get a satisfying and well deserved sip of coffee.

„Something on your mind?“

„Not that I knew, thank you for your concern. Bad luck is all there is to it.“

„Finally laid your four eyes on someone and thinking about how to make it happen?“

Now it was Ignis‘ turn to roll his eyes. For some reason Gladio seemed rather pushy today.  
„Tell me Gladiolus, how is this a thing to be possibly happening? I thought we had talked about this before. I spend most of the time here, behind the counter so all people I meet are my customers. And besides Noct I don’t usually talk to anyone that much either.“

„Noct? Who’s that?“

Ignis lifted a disbelieving eyebrow.  
„Noct. Noctis. The young man from the upper ring. You met here before, if you can remember.“

„ _Noct_ , huh.“  
The mocking grin that spread over Gladio‘s face was irritating. Ignis couldn’t exactly make out why but it seems the officer had decided it to be his task to make fun of either Noctis or of himself. That being unclear as well left a nasty taste in his mouth.  
„I already knew you were an ambitious guy Ignis but that’s really playing for high stakes. You sure you wanna go there? The higher you climb the harder you fall.“

„I am not sure if I understand what you are saying Gladiolus, but I am not _playing_ for anything.“  
The words came out stilted and flat under a clatter of coffee cup against wood. He had a notion of what Gladio tried to imply but he refused to think that way. That was most definitely not the case, it was ridiculous. Besides, Gladio always tended to drift into this line of conversation. He should really be less worked up about that.  
Angry at himself for rising to provocation that easily and for his cheeks to start prickling underneath their skin, Ignis pushed up his frames with his whole hand spread over his face. Tensely peering through his fingers he could make out that Gladio must have seen the flush nevertheless.

„Really Ignis, you’re too stiff. And then again too jumpy.“

„I am definitely _not_ jumpy.“ Ignis downed his coffee and started cleaning the cup, avoiding the other man’s eyes.

„Pff, whatever. I’m not saying you’re in love or something. All I’m saying is that I have already seen the way you look at him. And now that nickname thing, can’t blame me on imagining stuff“, Gladio chuckled into his cup of tea.

„He is my _friend_ Gladiolus.“

„That Prompto guy is too and you didn’t give him that same look you gave rich boy.“

„Speaking of which“, Ignis collected himself and straightend out his back, tilting his head in defiance.  
 _Get it together, goodness._  
„Don’t you have work of your own? I doubt Officer Highwind will be pleased if you stay away too long.“

Gladio lifted one hand in defense, grabbing his cap with the other.  
„Whoops. So that’s what it’s like to get thrown out, huh. But yeah, better be going or Highwind scares the shit out of the little streetrat. Leave him to me, I’ll get some discipline into him.“

„You have my thanks“, Ignis answered, loosening up his posture again.  
„And my apologies for being... _jumpy_. Things have gotten a bit out of hand since I came back from my journey.“

„Guess that’s life for you“, Gladio responded already half through the door. At least he didn’t seem to be upset by Ignis‘ behaviour.  
„But really try to enjoy it sometime. And about that Noctis-guy: If you feel like going for him, do it. Can’t have you be the damsel locked up in her tower forever.“

Unable to return any sort of verbal counter, Gladio slipped out of the door, waving another greeting with a big grin.  
 _It can be really tiring having to deal with somebody who enjoys concerning himself about other people’s lovelife_ , Ignis thought as the door clicked back into place. He took off his glasses and rubbed both hands over his face. It was just another peculiar day, nothing more. Everything was alright. Prompto would maybe finally learn his lesson and Gladio would make sure he wouldn’t end up behind iron bars. Noctis was only absent because work had him busy, not because he felt invaded by Ignis. And this was all that mattered.  
„Just because I overslept. I should really start working on my flexibility“, he mumbled to himself.

At the back of his mind he was wondering if there was truth to Gladio’s words.

In the afternoon, right after closing time, Ignis hurried upstairs to change that shirt of his. He hadn’t been able to spot the missing button anywhere, so he would have to look for a spare one later. After getting changed he roughly brushed through his hair, trying to flatten it out with water. Looking at his reflection he decided to use a little of the pomade he had been keeping for special occasions. That wasn’t quite the case right now but Ignis didn’t want to leave for the upper ring disheveled.

Ignis didn’t leave often for the upper districts of Insomnia because he simply couldn’t afford spending the time. That said he enjoyed seeing the shiny windows and pavements after some time again as the tram had passed the separation gate. The afternoon sun made the surroundings glow in a certain way Ignis had always found fascinating and atmospheric. Large parks every now and then sprouting between the hustle and bustle of the city, beautiful buildings with frescoes and swirled entrance gates and well clad, elegant people taking a walk or sitting in cafés, all of them kissed by the slowly setting sun.   
Surely there must have been dark sides to this life as well – there always were – but as long as the moment lasted Ignis dared to dream of a life like this. He wondered how Noctis spent his free time here and what had actually driven him to come downtown just before he had to get off the tram.

It was a little further by foot to reach the shoemaker‘s Ignis liked to take care of his shoes at. As he was mostly standing throughout the day, good soles were a crucial point for him. He would make no compromises concerning quality, even if this meant spending more money. His feet were an important part of his funds after all.

Ignis walked down the street, glancing over to the book store on the other side across. Beautifully handwrapped books were aligned on shelves, their gold and silver inscriptions whetting the appetite of their possible future readers. He liked that shop and wondered when the next time would be he could afford new books to dive into. Maybe at the end of the year he could allow himself one or two. Or next year for his birthday.  
Some minutes further Ignis stopped at the big shop window of the _Golden Key_ , a coffee bar he liked very much. Golden swirls and beautifully swung letters laced the windowpane and on the inside people were chatting, accompanied by discreet but enjoyable background music. He had never stopped by to actually have a cup for himself, but looking at all the different blends of coffee stored in delicate glass containers, the warm colours of the leather seats and the delicious smell emerging from the inside set him back into his teenage years, making him dream.  
 _I really should try to come here more often. You just tend to forget about such things_

Ignis wrested himself free of the shop’s spell and continued his way. He turned around the corner at the end of the street, leading to a bigger one. It was not far from here anymore.  
As he continued his short stroll through the city, his eyes caught on a shop he had never noticed before. It seemed to be a perfume shop, so much was clear by the vials and flacons standing in the window for exposition.  
But that was not what had drawn his attention.  
Blinking twice in disbelief he stepped closer to the window. He almost put his hand onto the glass before reminding himself that this was no thing to do as he gave a wide-eyed stare at the poster that was hanging in the back of the fragrance display.

_Is this... me?_

Ignis ran his eyes all over the picture, advertising a new fragrance called _Argutia_ with unmistakably him as the face of presentation, looking down from the poster at himself in a disconcerting way. He was not wearing his glasses and the shirt on the picture was open far too widely as to be still deemed decent, but no matter how he looked at it: he was looking at a drawing of himself. A picture he didn’t know was existing but still there it was, hanging right in the middle of Insomnia.

_I... don’t understand. How can this possibly be?_

Ignis tried to figure out how such a thing was even possible, trying to search the entity of the poster for a hint. The scent being advertised was from the perfume house called Lucis. Even though Ignis wasn’t that interested and knowing about fragrances, he was aware that this was the market leading production company of scents at the time. He had even seen an article about the head of Lucis, Regis Caelum in today‘s newspaper when he had quickly skimmed over it before the police had come to visit. But that didn’t make any sense.  
Searching for anything else on the poster that might be able to explain this impossibility, his eyes caught on a little plate attatched to it. It read:

_Argutia; advertisement designed and completed by Noctis Caelum._

Ignis‘ head started spinning. He could have been wrong. There had to be more than one person going by that name. But then again this was just too much of a coincidence. There wasn’t any other explanation.

His mind went blank but for one thought.

_Noct._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year 2018 everybody!!!  
> I hope it will turn out to have many happy moments and much luck for you in store.
> 
> So finally things are rolling here now :3c  
> (Which means more planning and plotting and more work for me, but well, I saw that one coming, didn't I...?)  
> I tried to illustrate the idea I had in mind for the poster from this chapter, you can find it [here on my tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/post/169185904891/okay-i-have-the-feeling-i-drew-this-ages-ago-the).
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think, what you liked or disliked, what you think is going to happen, etc. etc.! I'd be glad to hear!  
> Also: always thank you for your kudos! It's a pleasure every time!  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> On another note: I'll be going on a short term exchange abroad for 3 months, so the updates _might_ be delayed a bit from now on. I try to not let them be, but just in case they should, you know what's up :3
> 
> Thank you for taking your time!!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis tries to process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry the update has taken so long and I feel really guilty. (More concerning this at the end of the chapter.)
> 
> On another note: [his-spare-hats](https://his-spare-hats.tumblr.com/) has bestowed on me the most lovely [artwork](https://his-spare-hats.tumblr.com/post/170820117948/shining-ambitions-veiled-in-dust-an-ignoct) for this story! ;A;  
> I'm still crying when I see this, go and have a look at it, if you have the time. It's the very first artwork to whatever I have written before and I'm just totally blown away with feels, thank you so so much <3
> 
>  
> 
> And now enjoy the chapter! It's not beta-ed at all, so you might find mistakes but I hope to be able to smooth them out in some time.

„Welcome lad! It’s been a while since I last saw you. In the meantime I finished fixing those suspenders of yours. Let me quickly get them and then I’ll be back for you in a minute.”

The slim figure of the elderly shoemaker disappeared behind a front of dangling leather straps and stacked wooden feet models in a rush and Ignis found himself alone in the front part of the shop. The old man had hurried away so fast, not even glancing at his customer, that Ignis hadn’t even be able to greet him, but actually he didn’t really mind for once. Surrounded by countless shoes and bags, the scent of leather and adhesives lingering in the air he hoped to be able to shake off his stupor and collect himself again. He focused on his breathing for a while, trying to block out the chaos that stirred his mind. It helped a bit, even though Ignis questioned the healthiness of the fumes around him.

Just as his thoughts had begun to circle around the fact that his face was probably hanging around a major part of Insomnia (Heavens, hopefully not in other cities as well...) the old man had turned up again and placed the freshly fixed suspenders onto the counter.  
„There you are”, the man smiled with his eyes bent into friendly half-moons behind a thick pair of square lenses. „Well then, is there something else I can do for you? What brings you here today?”

Ignis’ head snapped up at the sudden question that pulled him away from his thoughts. After a short moment of confusion he lifted his bag and pulled out a pair of black fine leather shoes. They were not very extravagant in design and a little worn off but it was visible that Ignis had taken good care of them. They were a rather simple but elegant pair of good quality shoes.  
„Well, yes. I noticed the tread of those has fretted and I would like to ask for a set of new soles.”

The shoemaker quickly examined the heels and the back of the soles with skilled movements and nodded.  
„Need to get your feet back on the ground, eh?”

It could have been pure imagination but Ignis had the impression, the shoemaker shot him a meaningful smile from under his pale eyes.  
„You, ah... could say so, I suppose”, he answered, shaking his head resignedly.  
_Both literally and figuratively I fear..._

„Well”, the man pulled the shoes over the counter and placed them on a working table behind him. „I can take care of your shoes lad, but what is the other thing troubling you? You’re looking quite devastated, if you allow me.” He tipped one finger against his own forehead, right between his brows. „That kind of crease wasn’t on your face before.”  
That was right. Usually Ignis was in a good mood when he came to the upper ring but today was... different.

„It’s... nothing. Thank you kindly”, he replied politely as he pulled out the purse from his jacket. „Only one of those days where unforeseen things happen, nothing more. What do I owe you? For both suspenders and shoes.” Ignis gestured towards the things in question. „I’d like to pay in advance this time, if you don’t mind.”

The old man shrugged, still smiling and opened up today’s newspaper as he spoke.  
„That shoes are going to be a little expensive though. Good material is hard to come by those days, but I’ll let you have your suspenders for free in return, how does that sound?”

„That’s... very kind of you.”

The man waved one hand at him while busying his eyes with the newspaper.  
„Just be sure to come around again when you need something next time, alright? That’s 15 000 Gil then.”

 _The books will have to wait a while then_ , Ignis thought as he pulled out his purse and looked for the right amount of Gil to place on the counter. But getting his shoes fixed was something essential and a skill he wasn’t able to acquire that easily either. Fixing clothes by himself was one thing but shoes were an entirely different matter.  
When he pulled out the money, the man behind the counter uttered a noise of surprise. Ignis’ head snapped up, only to see the eyes of the man uncomfortably fixed on him.  
„Is... something the matter?”  
He was suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious as the shoemaker seemed to check on something in the newspaper and then looking at him again in return.

„Boy, is that you in the news?”

„What do you mean?”

The shoemaker turned around the paper and pointed at a rather big sized advertisement. Ignis had seen that one only moments ago and had tried to push it aside but there it was again. So it was in the papers then as well. His head began spiraling again.

„Look, that’s you! Oh boy, I wouldn’t have imagined that you were actually working for Lucis.” The pale eyes shifted down to the ad and up again in comparison. „The artist caught you pretty well if you ask me.”

„No, it’s... I actually didn’t know myself.”

The newspaper crunched onto the counter as the old man leaned forward.  
„Come on lad! You can’t tell me you were not knowing that you had business with the Caelums!”

„I assure you, I wasn’t.”  
Ignis voice had grown flat. He didn’t know if he should feel honoured, angry or embarrassed but he knew that he had to get out of here. He put the money onto the counter and quickly bowed in a greeting.  
„I am afraid I have to get back to my duties but I will make sure to come around soon enough. Good day.”

„Wait a moment!”

But Ignis didn’t wait and shut the door behind him before he headed for the tram station in a hasty pace. He didn’t want to hear about it. Nor did he want to be asked about things he didn’t know and was still trying to process. How did this happen? And what had he gotten himself into?  
No. What had _Noct_ gotten himself into?  
Ignis ran one hand through his hair in distress as he was waiting for the tram to arrive. He constantly felt being watched, very well knowing that this was only pure imagination. Yet it could have been real. Just as real as him being the face for a high-class brand. Lowering his head into the collar of his coat he boarded the tram for the lower ring, trying to distract himself by listening to the wagon wheels clattering against the rails.

 

Back in his usual surroundings Ignis felt a thousand times more at ease than he had in the upper ring. People scrambling up and down the streets were busy with work and more concerned about their finishing time and what was on for dinner than with ways to spend their money on luxury goods. At least it felt a bit reassuring. The more when Ignis closed the door behind him, blocking out what was going on in the outside world. He paused a few breaths, leaning his back on the door before he started taking off his coat and exchanged his vest for his familiar red apron.

Stepping out of the storage room, Ignis spotted today’s mail still lying on the counter, just as he had left it. He caught on the little blue envelope on top of today’s newspaper and let out a frustrated sigh. Had it really only been hours since he had genuinely been happy to hear from Noctis?  
Ignis took out the little handwritten card once more and just reread the words aligned in beautiful letters. At the part where it said _next time it’s my turn to talk_ he inhaled a deep breath.

 _I can imagine you_ do _have quite something to tell me, and I will make sure that you do._

Ignis couldn’t help himself thinking about the reason Noctis had come to his place in the beginning. It looked like Noctis had found this place here by chance, as far as he could recall, and he usually gave off the impression of simply enjoying the time he was spending at the Libra. At least as far as Ignis could make out. Noctis had returned more than one time, so he had to. The two of them had grown closer lately and it had gotten carefree and just... normal being around each other.  
To think that it would ultimately lead to something like this...

Ignis shook his head, vehemently fighting the thought that this had all been set up from the beginning and that Noctis had come back over and over again for him and his face. He was not very keen on experiencing the feeling of having been deceived and used by someone he had been bold enough to think of as a friend.

_Keep it together Ignis Scientia. You have to give him at least one chance to explain all this._

The little blue card slid back into its matching cover and Ignis decided to have a closer look at the news after all, well knowing what was awaiting him on the inside.  
And there it was, right on the second page when he opened up the paper. It took in about half of the page, an article about the new product line and excellence of Lucis Scents right underneath. Ignis had been busy with getting away from the scene as fast as possible so he hadn’t really been able to look at it closely but now, in his own space with no eyes around he permitted himself a more detailed look at what was an adaptation of himself, smiling cunningly at him.

Even though he was hesitant to admit it, the piece itself was rather well done. As the model in question, Ignis could make out which parts of the depicted person had to be referenced from other people but at the same time he was irritated to see how minutely his face and hands matched his own, even in details. The way his fringe used to part right over his left eyebrow, even though he was trying to fix it every morning, the faint beauty marks on his cheeks and even those on his neck were so neatly placed. Even though the portrait was missing the glasses Ignis was usually wearing, it was a perfect copy. Thinking about how thoroughly Noctis must have been watching him all the time, he felt his cheeks flare up. It _was_ sort of embarrassing after all.  
Ignis quickly splashed his face with cold water and decided to put the newspaper away.

 

Having spent the day in turbulences, Ignis was glad that the Libra Elementia grew rather crowded in the evening hours. That way he could focus on his usual work, leaving almost no intervals to be spacing out and letting thoughts drift into directions that would upset him in one or the other way. Nevertheless he caught himself stealing glances at the door and jumping as soon as a new customer entered the bar, only to find that it was not Noctis who had just walked in but the postman who wanted to relax a bit after just having finished his evening tour.

 _Laughable_ , Ignis thought as he collected another set of empty dishes and cups from Noctis’ table. No. The table Noctis liked to sit at.

As the evening progressed, the number of people to be looked after grew smaller and the work to be done grew less. Ignis had already polished the cups and glasses on his shelf so it would have been pointless to do so again right away. He needed something to do.  
Just when he vehemently tried to rid one of his older cooking utensils he had already pondered about throwing away from deeply crusted dirt, he was interrupted by a well known voice.

„You sure you don’t want to get a new one instead?”

Ignis lifted his head.

“I might as well give it a try before. Good evening, Gladiolus.”

Gladio hummed with his lips bent into a suggestive smirk and hung both the coat of his uniform and the matching hat onto the coat rack.  
„Same to you”, he returned as he pulled his stool away from the counter and grabbed one of the menus that were lying around.  
„So, your day got any better?”, Gladio asked while reading through the menu. „You actually look pretty beat.”

Ignis decided that the life of this spatula had definitely come to its end and set it down with a clink. A sigh escaped him as he took off his glasses, while the other hand was looking for the wiping cloth.  
„Honestly, I’d rather you wouldn’t ask.”  
The cloth softly rubbed over the lenses in a circular motion.  
„It was a rather... challenging day, I would say”, he added as he put his frames back in place.

„Hmmm.”  
Gladio put the menu down and propped up his chin.  
„Went somewhere special today?”  
He twisted his hair between his fingers in explanation as Ignis gave him an irritated look.  
„That hair of yours was dangling around wilder when I came here this morning.”

 _Ah._  
Right, it had been today that Prompto had been taken into custody. No wonder Ignis felt exhausted. There had definitely happened too much at once but maybe he could make use of this in order to distract from what was upsetting him.  
„Sharp eyes, very fitting for your profession indeed”, he answered as he put away his wiping cloth and pushed up his glasses just a notion higher. „Yes, I had business outside and did not want to leave the house dishevelled, which is why I decided to fix it that way.”  
Ignis brushed aside a wayward strand of hair that had fallen down into his face. Thanks to the pomade he had been using it perfectly stuck to the sideward wave he had groomed his hair into to cover up whatever messiness there had been.  
„But as you mention it, I would like to know what you made of Prompto after you left. And let me know as soon as you have decided on what I can bring you.”

„Oh, right. I’ll just have a beer and some rice balls. And that Prompto-guy...”  
Gladio scratched his bearded chin and huffed out a laugh.  
„That one’s a real bouncy ball. It’s scary to see how that scrawny kid can harbour that much energy.”

Ignis, who had started forming rice into a triangular shape nodded in agreement.  
„I fully second that.”

„Well, I had him leave with Highwind this morning because you wanted to talk to me, remember? So actually, when I got back to the station, she really had him imprisoned in that little cell we usually use to keep youth delinquents for one night. Like, until the parents show up to get them the next day. I can tell you it was one hell of a scene when I walked in.”

With how much Prompto had been squeaking and whimpering already when he had been brought here, Ignis could only imagine its extent. He let out a disapproving grunt as he put the rice balls in front of Gladio.  
„I guess so.”

„Prompto had his tiny hands clenched around the iron bars and was whining excuses and apologies towards her. And that badass woman was just standing there with a smug grin when I asked what was going on. Taking care of the guest as she said.”  
Gladio took a bite of rice.  
„And blondie was accusing her of torture and unfair treatment and that if you’d know about that you’d kick our asses?”  
The amusement in his voice was audible and even Ignis couldn’t hold back a snort.

„I am not sure about me literally _kicking your asses_ but I think I have to remind Prompto of not being his personal bodyguard I suppose.”

“It was funny actually”, Gladio chuckled. „You should have seen that face. Nothing but desperate defense. It was kinda adorable.”  
Ignis put the ordered beer in front of his guest.  
„Thanks. So, when I had that situation under control again I let him out of there. I saw him making a face at Highwind, but when she noticed he caught himself a strong smack on the head. Guess he won’t be trying again so soon”, Gladio laughed.  
„But yeah. I explained that he’ll be working a while under us until we deem it safe to let him run again. I hope that’s fine with you?”

Ignis had to hold back a yawn.  
„Yes. It is very much appreciated. Thank you Gladiolus. I won’t ask you to keep him until he has found a profession he likes to pursue but maybe this will at least open up his vision for perspective. Please don’t let him be a burden to you though.”

„Not at all.” Gladio waved with one hand before grabbing his beer.  
„As I said, we’re low on staff right now anyway so I am counting on him to really help us out. For now I’ll first try and get some discipline into him. Before I left, I assigned him to read through all the newspapers we’ve piled up over two weeks. You know, looking through if there’s stuff written about the police or about fishy things going on and stuff like that. Usually it’s Highwind’s task to cut those out and gather them in a folder with the date of issue and so on, but I really need her for the planning of the Nox Fleuret affair. So I had Prompto take care of that for today. There’s a lot of stuff to go through, so he should be busy for some hours.”

„I assume that you require Officer Highwind’s help not exclusively because the workload for your upcoming schedule is tough”, Ignis smugly remarked. He knew that Gladio usually went easy on his own paperwork because he hated it so much.  
„But I really appreciate it anyways, thank you.”

„Now that’s a half-hearted way to thank me for saving your friend from prison”, the police officer laughed.

„Let’s have this one on the house then, shall we?”, Ignis returned with a smile as he set a second glass of beer onto the table. It was true, normally Prompto would sit behind bars for a longer time now. And regarding his physical fitness, Ignis would probably have worried about his health condition.

„Haha, yeah, thanks Ignis”, Gladio returned.  
„I hope the guy is okay though. I left him alone with Highwind before coming over and she seemed a bit pissed about that.”

„I’d like to trust in both Prompto’s and Officer Highwind’s capabilities of social interaction”, Ignis sighed as he crossed his arms.  
„I am aware that Prompto’s character is a bit of a challenge, especially in the beginning but actually—”

„Iggy!”  
In that moment the door of the bar swung open. Behind it stood a heavily panting Prompto, something between excitement and shock on his face. He must have run all the way from the station to the bar.

„Speak of the devil, good evening Prompto”, Ignis greeted him, eyebrows lifted in surprise.  
As he took a closer look at Prompto, a smile washed over his face. Prompto was wearing a full police uniform with coat and cap and it was obviously not his size.The sleeves of the coat were too long, hiding half of his hands in it and the coat itself was way to broad for his slim figure. Especially around his arms and hips the uniform was creasing in a way that made him look like he was actually wearing a masquerade costume. The trousers were also dangling around his legs in loose creases, especially around his knees and Prompto had had to roll them up because they were too long. At least the boots seemed to fit and the fact that Prompto was wearing shoes for once calmed Ignis.

„What, you already done with all the stuff? Or did Highwind scare you away?”, Gladio half joked towards the smaller boy.

Prompto yanked his head over, only to realise that his current boss was sitting at the counter of his friend’s bar and he immediately tried for a better posture. Ignis thought that Gladio and Aranea really might have scared him a bit.  
„I’m still reading my way through the stuff and I have _not_ been scared away”, the blond stressed. „Besides, I’m reading that huge pile of paper on my own, because Aranea decided to leave me alone with it, just so you know.”

Gladio’s eyebrow shot up in a mocking arch.  
„Oh, so you really _can_ read after all. I was a bit worried that Highwind might have to teach you reading first”, he joked.

„Oh, well _thank you_ ”, Prompto returned in a sulky tone.  
„Believe it or not: I _can_ read— but this is not the point!! Look at this!”  
He scurried to the counter, hectically waving around what looked like a big piece of paper.

„Prompto, how are we supposed to see anything like that?”  
Ignis adjusted his glasses and squinted to make out what exactly it was Prompto wanted him to have a look at.

„It’s in the newspaper! Today’s newspaper! Look, Iggy!”, Prompto squeaked as he basically pressed the paper directly into Ignis’ face.

Ignis let out a frustrated noise and snatched the page from Prompto’s hand. As he realised the bit of newspaper he was holding, his throat tightened and he had to swallow twice.  
_Oh Heavens, why...?_  
There it was again. The picture that had completely thrown him off the rails today, an unchanging smug grin on its lips. His lips.  
As Ignis hissed out a breath between clenched teeth, Prompto’s eyes started to burst of excitement.

„Dude, that’s really _you_?! Omg, you’re famous, Iggy!!”

Gladio frowned as he didn’t really understand what got Prompto so worked up.  
„Hey, let me see that.”  
He snatched the neatly cut out page from Ignis’ hand before the latter even had the chance to protest. His reaction was pretty similar to the one the shoemaker had shown in the afternoon.  
„Whoah. No kidding Ignis. That’s pretty neat, but really unexpected.”

„I know right?! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that and I absolutely had to show him! Or, uhm, well, you too of course. But Iggy, how did you get that kind of job? And why didn’t you tell me? Us. Whatever!”

„Believe me when I say that I have no idea”, Ignis exhaled in frustration. He had taken off his glasses again and was rubbing his eyes. This was really too much.

„No way! I mean, how can you just have no idea? That’s quite a big deal”, Prompto insisted.  
“I mean, are you trying to tell us that you didn’t know?”

„This is what I was actually implying Prompto, yes.”

„But— but how?!”

„Yeah, Prompto is right”, Gladio said as he laid down the sheet onto the counter.  
„I mean, you can’t tell us that you were modeling somewhere without knowing what it would be used for. And that”, he tipped on the caption of the picture, „is not just anything. That’s high-class darling Lucis Scents. They’re famous. Even I have heard of them and I’m not into stuff like that at all.”

„I am perfectly aware of that, thank you Gladiolus”, Ignis replied harshly. He could feel the colour rising to his cheeks. He started fiddling with his glasses.  
„But believe it or not, I was as shook as the both of you when I first saw it. This afternoon to be precise. And before you ask again: no. I have not been asked for permission of any kind.”

„That doesn’t make sense.”  
Gladio sounded suspicious.  
„You can’t tell me that anyone could make this kind of picture without asking you before. That portrait is way too real to just be loosely referenced. The person who drew that must have been staring at you for hours. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice something like that.”

„Aaahw, I cut off the article part where the artist was mentioned. I knew I shouldn’t have!”, Prompto whined.

Ignis’ irritated mood slowly but surely turned into deep embarrassment. He could basically feel his face flush at the thought that Noctis must have been _staring at him for hours_. And of course he easily could have. They had been in the same room for quite some time and knowing about his drawing skills from the time he had drawn Gladio’s sister it must have been quite easy for him. But he didn’t want Gladio and Prompto make that connection. Not before he himself had talked to Noctis about this in person.  
„Look, ah... I barely even leave this place so I couldn’t even think of a possibility that somebody affiliated with Lucis might have spotted me anywhere, let alone memorise my face that well in a short time.”

Gladio squinted.  
„You sure? Then it has to have happened here. But hey, even here you can’t tell me you wouldn’t have noticed if one of your customers was that damn good at draw... ing... Wait.”

Ignis yanked his head into the man’s direction to see Gladio’s eyes light up in understanding. He could also make out Prompto’s eyes, flickering between himself and Gladio in excitement. Of course Gladio would remember that incident. His sister had been involved after all. But Ignis didn’t want Prompto to know. That was something between him and Noctis and nothing touching the friendship the two boys had established while he had been gone. If Noctis wanted to tell Prompto, Ignis wanted him to tell him directly. That much he dared to expect.

„Oh, _shit_.”  
The words escaped Gladio easily, an excited grin gradually spreading on his face. Ignis shot a determined look in his direction, hoping it to suffice for keeping him silent on that matter.  
„No way Ignis.”  
The grin was constantly widening, while Ignis seriously could have sworn that the temperature in this room had increased for some degrees.

„I am still looking into that matter by myself and I will let you know if I need your help”, Ignis said firmly. He pursed his lips and strongly fixed his eyes on his opponent’s. It was not even rational to try and keep Noctis out of that matter but somehow Ignis felt entitled to have a private talk with him about this. After all it was about him, so he didn’t want anyone else to barge in onto them. Even if it meant acting protective over Noctis for now.

„Now this is going to be interesting”, Gladio grumbled amused.

„Whaaat? What’s going on here? You can’t just leave me out, I want to knoooow!”

„You’ll get to know it when the time’s right, blondie”, Gladio returned, his eyes still focused on Ignis’. At least he seemed to have understood that Ignis wanted him to keep quiet about this matter. He grabbed his coat and cap from the rack and flung one of his bulky arms over Prompto’s scrawny shoulders, making him stumble under its weight.  
„Now then, we still have work to do, so we better get our butts out of here.”

„But— Work shift’s over?!”

Prompto wasn’t even given an opportunity to complain as Gladio shoved him towards the door.  
„Well then, thanks for the food. Be sure to keep me informed”, he greeted Ignis with a wide grin and a soft shake of his head.  
Ignis had stiffened up behind the counter and couldn’t even make up a smart answer to that in return.

 

After a horrific night with chaotic dreams and swirling thoughts about emotion, betrayal and confusion, the only thing that kept Ignis awake behind the counter was a regular dose of coffee. He counted four cups by the time of one o’clock. It was the very first time he was worked up about something that much - and probably the first time something like that happened to him.

As he was agonising over how to cope with his situation in the best rational way, he was interrupted by the chime of his door.  
Ignis took a deep breath and straightened out his posture as he saw Noctis walking into the room.

_Well then._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I COULD FINALLY WRITE!!!
> 
> Honestly: Two weeks in Japan and my laptop happily decided to die on me, which left me without any possibility of really writing things orz  
> This is why it took me so long. I'm currently borrowing my friend's pc and binge-wrote this chapter in two days. The ideas were already laid out and I had started writing manually into my notebook, so "all that was left" was to write it down neatly. I hope i managed to, and I hope you still enjoy this.
> 
> Once more: I'm so so sorry for keeping you guys waiting that long and I'm so grateful for everyone who did.
> 
> As always, please let me know your thoughts on this, bookmarks, comments and kudos are dearly loved.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis finally reveals himself.

The past days had been unbearable and Noctis was a hundred percent sure that it had never been worse in all his life. He should have gotten used to the pressure of deadlines. After all it was not the first time he had to juggle with a crucial part in the production on the one side and being the business heir Noctis Caelum who had to be presentable at official appointments and interviews together with his father. All of that should have been normal by now.  
Maybe he had overestimated himself when he had decided to start the poster anew with time closing in. But he had to. No matter what he had been working on, something had always felt off. Noctis couldn’t exactly explain what it was that upset him about the painting but there definitely had been something wrong. Was it the fact that he had left out the glasses? Then the eyes maybe. Or the way his lips curled. Dino had shrugged it off, saying Noctis was probably just over-critical with himself and his father had said the same thing, obviously wondering where that harsh self-criticism was coming from all of a sudden („That’s not funny, dad!”).

A talk with Luna after another meeting for their collaboration project had finally brought enlightenment though. When Noctis had told her about the trouble he was having and asked her to take a look at the work in progress, her first reaction had just been the same as Dino’s, much to Noctis’ discontent.

„And still you feel like something does not fit?”

Noctis had let out a frustrated growl.  
„Argh, I just... it doesn’t look... _bad_ I guess? But... I don’t know... I’m just not satisfied with the result and I definitely can’t screw this one up.”

Luna had chuckled.  
„I can see you are really giving your best, Noctis. If I remember it right, you know the man on the poster you are drawing, don’t you?” She had pointed at the work in progress Noctis had started to work on only a few days ago. „Of course that must be quite some pressure.”  
She had taken a moment longer to look at the painting that was spread out in front of her.  
„Maybe it has stiffened up.”

„What?”

„The portrait”, Luna explained.  
„I hear that the art represents the soul of the artist in a certain way. And you are obviously having a stressful time. Maybe this comes to show in your work flow. After all, the painting is alive, just as you.”

_Alive._  
This had somehow rang a bell. Noctis had been so fixed on creating a perfect image that his work really might have stiffened up, just as Luna had said. He had been way too occupied with the sketch he always had in front of him. Maybe bringing up Ignis in his mind as he knew him, in moving images would help create something Noctis could not only be satisfied with but proud of.

„That— what you said now? Maybe you’re right. I think I can work with that, thanks.”

„Oh?”  
Luna had seemed surprised about how her rather undefined comment might have helped but she had been glad it had.

From then on it had been work from early morning into the night. Whenever he had been in his atelier, Noctis found himself spending his time thinking about Ignis. Not having seen him for some time had made it more difficult but he had tried hard to recall nuances and details of his behaviour in order to bring dynamics to the soon-to-be-due poster.  
He had recalled how Ignis always adjusted his glasses, middle finger sliding up the bridge of his nose in a smooth movement and his index finger slightly brushing over his nostril. The way Ignis’ eyes narrowed at their edges just before he started cutting ingredients for something behind the counter. The content smile tugging at his mouth before taking a sip of coffee and the teeth grazing over his lower lip when putting down the cup again. The barely visible dimples on his cheeks and his wits sparking up in deep green eyes whenever Noctis had said something worth countering.

It had truly been a trance-like state of work, leaving Noctis sleepless for three days in the final stage. The energy sap from both intense focusing and the lack of sleep had brought Noctis to collapse and sleep through a whole day and a half just after having finished and handed in his work. He had been so drained but it had totally been worth it. Even if Dino saw „no difference”, Noctis did. He had been satisfied with his painting and that was all that mattered. Even though he would have liked to skip on what had seemed like a lifetime torture.

„The advertisement seems to have taken off pretty well. Placing it into The Insomnian was a good choice after all. I still don’t know what made you go against this at first.”  
Regis was preparing to leave for the first live presentation of the Lucis autumn line and Noctis was helping him getting into his coat.

_Well, I just hope Ignis hasn’t seen it yet, because that’s actually what—_

Noctis was ripped from his thoughts by a sudden hand on his shoulder. He looked up into his father’s face, smiling gently at him with soft crinkles around the eyes. Regis looked tired.  
„I am really proud of you, Noctis. Your work has really become a masterpiece. Even though I doubt you had to take it to that level of perfection. This will make it tough for us to meet this standard next season”, Regis reprimanded him jokingly.

Noctis gave a crooked smile and theatrically rolled his eyes.  
„Yeah, yeah. We’ll think about that when the time is there.”

„Haah, and here I am, thinking my son might have grown into a more foresighted young man, but...”  
Both of then laughed.  
„But really, Noctis. Dropping your work and start anew in the final phase was rather reckless. Please remember that this behaviour can also have severe consequences. It all went well this time, but maybe not the next.”

The younger Caelum uncomfortably scratched his neck.  
„Yeah, I know. It was good I had Luna have a look at it though. I think she helped me a great deal getting it done in time.”

„Oh, did she? Now this is nice to hear.”  
Regis nodded and patted Noctis’ shoulder gently before retreating his hand.

„Greet her if you happen to see her later? I know you have an appointment with Ravus in the afternoon.”

„I will make sure to pass your greetings on”, Regis chuckled and waved once more before leaving through the front door.

As soon as his father had vanished from his sight, Noctis flurried back into his room to get ready himself. After his little breakdown he had gotten a short span of holidays, just before he had to enter the official business meet-ups and interviews in a few days himself. And as everyone knew they didn’t want an exhausted and grumpy Noctis as spokesperson for Lucis, they had basically forced him to take some days off. Noctis wouldn’t think of complaining about this.  
He threw off his pyjamas in a rush and pulled out some of his casual clothes that would not scream high-class from afar. An onyx coloured button down shirt with a subtle skull pattern along the neckline, a long black suede jacket and the usual knee high trousers. Accessories were not an option. He wanted to skip on anything possibly attracting attention. Pulling a thick scarf deep into his face he left the house, trying to avoid crowded places as good as he could.

 

Getting close to the place he had grown used to come to whenever he had some spare time, Noctis realised that he hadn’t really thought about how he would talk to Ignis. He had promised he would, had even written a short message (hopefully it arrived safely) but actually he had no idea how to start on this. There was no way he could just walk in and say „Oh hey, by the way I’m sort of famous and by accident a drawing I made of you made it to the billboards and you could be famous now too.”  
No, definitely not.  
Noctis flexed his hands inside his pockets and he could feel them getting clammy. So he was nervous after all. Maybe this awkward circling around his identity had not been a good idea after all. But Ignis had accepted him the way he was, so adding just a further information should not be much of a big deal.  
Or was it?  
He just hoped Ignis would receive it well and that he wouldn’t get mad at him or turn his back on him. At least the poster part was not his fault.

_Damn, just relax and get this over with. It will work out somehow._

Noctis took a look at himself in the reflection of one of the shop windows and took a deep breath before closing the distance and stepping into what had privately become his refuge. Today it felt like entering a court room.

The door swung open with the usual subtle clink of the little door chime and there he was again: just the Ignis he had recalled over and over again, wearing his ruby red apron and bending over his work space. Realising how long and in what meticulous detail Noctis had been occupied with thinking about this man suddenly made him overly self conscious and he had to take his eyes off the person he had and then again had not spend the last days with.  
Now talk about an embarrassing situation.

„Hey, uhm... it’s been some time”, Noctis managed, awkwardly holding onto his elbow with one hand and facing the floor.  
„Can I... come in?”

„You already did, if I may point that out. Hello... Noct.”

It was something about the way Ignis spoke and the timbre of his voice that made Noctis lift his eyes again. When he met the deep green gaze he had been trying to capture for days, it made Ignis’ eyes flicker away and he pursed his lips. Noctis started as he felt an uncomfortable tension creeping up between them.

„I, uhm...” Noctis opened his mouth, only to close it again without having said anything.

Ignis had his eyes fixed on the cooking plates he was polishing as he spoke.  
„Just go ahead and sit down, if you will? I would like to finish this here before... I am available.”

„O-okay?”  
Noctis swallowed. This was not going well at all and it hadn’t even started. The possibility that Ignis actually _had_ come across the advertisement somewhere seemed closing in on him as he sat down. Ignis was fiercely scrubbing at something, brows drawn together, forming a crease on his front. He had his lips still firmly pressed into a line and Noctis could spot dark circles peering from under the golden frames. He couldn’t really make out what what going on behind those glasses. Noctis only hoped that whatever this inevitable conversation would bring, Ignis would not snap and throw him out. Having Ignis be mad at him and losing his favourite place to be would probably be the worst outcome he could think of.

Trying to not let his thoughts spiral down any further, Noctis clasped his hands together and peeked at the counter from behind his fringe. Ignis had moved towards the door and opened it to flick around the shop’s sign.  
 _We are closed._  
Noctis took a deep breath as Ignis approached his table, sitting himself down just in front of him.

„I believe you were wanting to talk to me.”  
Ignis had propped up his arms and interlaced his fingers in front of his face. The eyes behind his frames were unreadable and directly fixed on Noctis.

„Y-yeah, I actually do.”  
The flatness in Ignis’ voice had sent an uncomfortable shiver down Noctis’ spine.   
„Uhm, so you... you got my letter then?”

„Indeed.”

„That’s good. I... I was afraid I might have sent it to the wrong address and—”

„Noctis, I think this is hardly the point of this, is it?”

_He knows._  
Noctis tried to swallow but his mouth had run dry. Ignis knew but wanted to hear it coming from himself.  
 _Shit._  
Feeling cornered and pinned down by the green stare Noctis was about to panic. But he didn’t want to. If Ignis knew, then what difference would it make? He had to seize this chance to clear up things and smooth out whatever misunderstandings had occurred along the way. The damage had been done anyways.

„Right. That’s not the point I guess.”  
Noctis clasped his hands a bit tighter and forced himself to look up and meet the gaze he was directed.  
 _Okay, really just don’t freak out._

„Okay, to get things over with: My name is Noctis Caelum and I’m working under Regis Caelum, my father, to someday take over our family business Lucis Scents.”  
Noctis’ heartrate increased in panic as Ignis didn’t give any kind of reaction.  
„Uhm, I... I guess you knew that already?”

„Indeed. I tend to read the newspaper.”

„Aaah...”  
Noctis ran a nervous hand over his neck.  
„You know, that... that wasn’t actually to happen”, he stammered. „I can explain!”  
He hated how insecurity seemed to widely crack open what he had believed to be good composure.

„Now this is an explanation I’d like to hear”, Ignis returned, lowering his hands on the table and raising his brows in a mixture of curiosity and accusal. Seeing Ignis that reserved in comparison to how close they had gotten used to act around each other, Noctis felt the panic finally swelling up in his chest and bubble up his throat.

„No, really, I can explain! You see, I... I was working on that poster project, well... yeah, _that_ one. But I was working on it all on my own and it didn’t look like that from the start! I have been trying to come up with different motifs and designs but nothing really seemed good enough. And then I started drawing here, at your place and somehow the things happening here caught my mind. I started sketching stuff, like that time when I did that portrait of the girl who was here with that big friend of yours? And this made me come up with illustrations I wanted to use for this project. So— so I showed the conceptual designs to Dino and— ah, Dino is my co-worker. And instead of looking at the samples I wanted to show him, he was just... freely browsing through my sketchbook and somewhere found that sketch I made of you. Ignis, I swear this was not the point but both him and my father agreed over this without even asking me and... I was left with no other choice! Please, you must believe me!”

Ignis’ eyes flickered around aimlessly for a second before zeroing in on Noctis again. His expression spoke of insecurity and incomprehension.  
„Why didn’t you tell me?”

„What?”

Ignis closed his eyes under a deep frown, trying to process the things Noctis was telling him. Rubbing at his temples didn’t really seem to help.  
„You could have told me this right away. You could have _asked_ me about this.”

„But then I would have had to tell you who I am!”

„And you were initially not planning on doing so.”

„ _No_! I mean—”  
Ignis’ question had come out like an accusal and Noctis found himself thrown off track. The things he had planned on saying blurred out and dissolved into nothingness.

„So is it right for me to assume that right from the start it was your plan to trick me into some kind of relation you might be able to make use of for business when the right time has come?”  
As composed his voice sounded, Noctis was aware of the subtle hardness in it and he saw how Ignis’ mouth twitched at the corners.

„No, Ignis, no! Please believe me!”

„It is rather hard to believe someone that has willingly tricked myself.”

„I was scared!”  
Noctis started at how loud he had become and how his voice unintentionally cracked. He found his hands shaking on the table in front of him.he felt desperate enough to cry but he wouldn’t. It was his only chance to clear this up, put this right and not lose it. Noctis lowered his voice again as he tried to compose himself but couldn’t stop it from faintly shaking.  
„Damn, yeah. I was scared. I didn’t want you to find out... where I belo— where I come from. I didn’t want to be... pushed away because of the social position I was born into. Not that I was ever given a choice but... You know, here it felt... carefree and... safe. And I came here because I wanted to, not because I had to. I wasn’t trying to... _trick_ you into anything, it meant—”  
Noctis shook his head with a rustle of his hair.  
„It means a lot to me that you are treating me like a normal person. That you are just looking at me the way I am, not the way I am supposed to be. And that’s just why I kept coming back. Because it felt right. Because I liked it.”

Blue eyes were wandering aimlessly over pale hands, teeth biting down onto the lower lip.

„And yeah. I started taking my work here with me, because I felt free. Everything was so much easier being around here. You even listened to what I was struggling with and gave me advice. That’s nothing I take for granted you know? You gave me the impression that I could talk to you about whatever is on my mind and... I don’t know. I just felt like being able to... be myself? I think I maybe would have told you about me some time after all. But now, we’re sitting here and all of this just because Dino—”  
Noctis didn’t finish the sentence. Yes, it was Dino who had insisted on working out Ignis’ portrait but Noctis hadn’t tried enough to talk him out of it. Actually it was _his_ fault that it had come to this in the beginning. If he hadn’t sketched Ignis at all, then all of this wouldn’t have happened.  
„No, you’re right”, Noctis murmured in resignation. „Just... drop this. It’s my fault after all.”

This was not going anywhere, only spinning around in endless circles. He had perfectly screwed this up. Noctis felt a stinging behind his eyes and frustrated tears rising up to a dangerous level. No, he wouldn’t cry now. If he was going to be kicked out, then he didn’t have to embarrass himself in front of Ignis more than necessary. More than he already had.

„Yeah, sure you’d hate being around someone like that. Sorry to have bothered you.”  
Noctis forcefully stood and without taking a further look at Ignis he hurried to the door. He only wanted to leave this place and run from it to the thrumming sound in his ears.

„Noct!”

The black haired boy spun around as he was being pulled back by a firm grip on his wrist. Ignis, who had been listening to everything without dropping a single word had come after him, looking at him with a complicated face.

_Damn, no. Just let me leave!_

The taller man’s shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh and suddenly the rock-like facade had gone. The fierceness that had surrounded him seemed to be slowly melting away.  
„Noct, you cannot jump to conclusions just like that and all by yourself.” His voice was steady and warm.  
„Would you mind sitting down again? Please?” 

The last thing Noctis wanted to do now was sitting down in front of Ignis and being torn apart by what he was going to say to him. The grip around his wrist tightened as he turned away.  
So he had no choice.  
Grinding his teeth Noctis sat down again, prepared for the worst.

So did Ignis. He looked exhausted as he set his glasses onto the table and ran a hand over his face. Noctis winced as he was met with his look.  
„Noct, I—”  
Ignis was looking for words but with a clicking sound of his tongue he groaned out a desperate sound.  
„I wanted to get mad at you properly but somehow you just won’t let me.”

Noctis’ eyes widened and the thrumming in his ears started to dull down. He stared at the other man in hopeful disbelief.

„I _still_ think you should have talked to me about this before, even if apparently you were not the one to have made this decision. I would have been prepared for what was to come and you could have asked for my cooperation. Don’t you think this would have been the best solution for both of us?”  
Noctis, head lowered nodded.  
„And concerning special treatment because of your status; I thought we had already been past that point. So what was there to be scared about? Or did I make you... feel uncomfortable in any way?”

„No...”  
The young Caelum couldn’t help it but feel like an idiot. Of course Ignis was right. He should have trusted him all along.

„Good.”  
Ignis kneaded around the back of his head before he brought his hands back together.  
„Frankly, I am slightly disappointed that you seem to think so low of me.”

„Wha— I don’t!”

„Did you seriously think that knowing your family name would have influenced my behaviour towards you? Well, I cannot deny that I might have been... surprised about _how much_ of importance you actually have, but I am sure I would have found out anyways at some point. And...”  
Ignis fumbled around with his frames.  
„I am quite confident that ultimately this wouldn’t have changed anything.”

Noctis felt a weight come off his shoulders. This almost sounded like...

„Though I would have wished for you to take in account my own... thoughts when taking your actions. You must know that I... thought you to be trustworthy. Else I would not have _bothered_ you, to use your words, with my personal matters, let alone out of free will. So I hope you understand that... getting confronted with my own face in the news paper from out of the blue was quite shocking, especially as I did not know anything about it. And seeing how much of a spitting image it is, at least concerning my face is, ah...”  
Ignis cleared his throat and dipped his head to the side.  
„It is quite overwhelming.”

Noctis looked up to see Ignis combing through the hair at the back of his head, his ears dusted in a pinkish hue. He usually was the incarnation of control and self-confidence and seeing him that flustered left Noctis both surprised and fascinated.  
„Are you... embarrassed?”

The pink colour spread over his cheekbones as Ignis jerked his head back at Noctis.  
„Well, of course! People started recognising me in town yesterday all of a sudden, what do you expect? I am not used to this sort of behaviour towards me, just in case you wondered. I hope you are aware of the fact that you are changing a person’s life with what you have done. Besides I never... I have never considered myself to be suited for... well, _that_ kind of profession.”

Noctis choked out a laugh.  
„What? You mean you don’t think you’re handsome?”

„Oh Noct, please stop. You’re only making it worse.”  
Ignis buried his face in his hand and waved the other one defensively.  
This was so unexpected and somehow sweet that Noctis burst out in wholehearted laughter, only to see Ignis’ face gradually shift to a deeper red. The whole situation had turned so awkward, Noctis couldn’t even think about his laughing being inappropriate, so he didn’t even try to suppress it.

„I think this is quite enough, good grace”, Ignis finally said as he resettled his glasses onto his glowing face and spun to hurry behind the counter. While Noctis was busy trying to get a grip of himself, Ignis had started chopping something, focusing very intensely on his hands.

„Aaah man, sorry Ignis.” Noctis wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.  
„Really, I’m sorry. But honestly, do you look into a mirror sometimes? It’s a miracle nobody stumbled over you before.”

„And it is a miracle that you are still going on about this.”

Noctis grinned.  
„Okay, okay. I got it. I’ll make sure to ask from now on.”

„From now on?!”

The troubled face that popped up from behind the counter almost made Noctis laugh again but he could somehow hold himself back.  
„Dunno but I can’t promise that they don’t want to meet you. At Lucis I mean. Like, officially give you credit for it at presentations and stuff.”

„This is really nothing I have ever asked for”, Ignis sighed.  
„But I suppose it would be impolite do decline such an invitation.”

„That’s so like you, Specs! But hey, at least I’ll finally have someone to talk to at that kind of event.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow.  
„You are being pretty full of yourself for someone who wanted to flee the scene just moments ago.”

„Hey, I- I’m really sorry, okay? I mean it!”, Noctis’ voice wavered awkwardly.  
„I thought... you had forgiven me?”

„Hmm... I wonder.”

Noctis felt the green spark of wits flashing up in Ignis’ eyes as he set down a bowl in front of him with a sly grin. Part of him was glad to see that kind of emotion, the other part was horrified.

„I might think about it after you have finished this. Enjoy your meal.”

Noctis’ hair stood on end as he looked down onto the salad arrangement of cabbage and carrots. He suddenly felt utterly exposed.s  
 _Guess that’s only fair._  
He hesitantly gulped down a bite. Even Ignis’ cooking skills wouldn’t ever make him like that spawn of evil. With all the willpower he could manage to mobilise he started on fighting down that mountain of vegetable in front of him.

What escaped him in this fierce battle was the helpless and sheepish smile on the bar owner’s lips and the fact that said man had already started kneading dough and heating the oven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made you wait for so long, so have the next chapter right away, at usual pace, the way it should be... orz  
> (The next chapter will be put up as soon as I can, I promise. But I fear it will not be next week, so please be patient with me TT)
> 
> So finally it's out!   
> I feel like I should have dragged this on a bit longer, but somehow Noct decided to get overly dramatic and Ignis gave up too fast. I still hope that it somehow fits and that you are not disappointed with the outcome.
> 
> Now that those things are clear, it is time to step further into the social circle of the Caelums. Things will happen, they arein my mind and I hope I can present them to you soon!
> 
> Thoughts on this chapter or on the story itself are warmly welcomed, and thank you for the new comments, kudos and bookmarks! You guys really rock!
> 
> Also: feel free to yell at me on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/spare_glasses) or [tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/)! I don't bite and love to scream about Ignis and Ignoct <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis hates his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you so much for that new bunch of kudos!! ;A;  
> And welcome to the new ones of you who decided to lend me a bit of their time to stop by and read~
> 
> But now, have the new chapter first!

„It is a pleasure to finally be able to listen to your play again, young master.“  
Gentiana smiled as she lowered her violin. „And your loyal companion appreciates it likewise as it seems. Her voice sounds joyful and light.“

„Haha, yeah I can imagine“, Noctis laughed putting down his own instrument carefully. „It was a bit tricky to get her tuned after that time but it feels good to be playing again. Guess I missed it.“  
He took a fond look at the midnight coloured varnish and ran a thoughtful hand over the delicate golden swirls on the chevalet of his violin. Noctis was really glad to be back at it again but throughout the last working period it had simply become impossible. Time had simply not been enough.

„But it is not only the violin.“  
Gentiana smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress. She was wearing dark, almost black but still blue fabric and her sleek hair gently fell over her shoulders.  
„It appears you yourself have been lifted of a burden too, young master, have you not?“

Noctis looked at her with round eyes.  
„Uhm... yeah, I guess? I mean, all that work that had to be done really pulled on my nerves. I’m really glad that’s over.“  
Actually that was quite an obvious point so why would she have to ask?

A crystalline chuckle rang through the air.  
„Yes, I can imagine that those tasks as well have been consuming a lot of energy. If you don’t mind my curiosity, would you like to tell me about it?“

Noctis blew out a puff of air as he sat down on one of the chairs.  
„Fine by me. But I don’t really think it’s as exciting as you expect.“

And then Noctis started talking about his working process, how he got stuck on ideas but found his inspiration again through the advice of a friend. How then again things went chaotic and in the end a sketch of exactly this friend had been chosen as motif and how he had struggled getting things right and how he had failed at it. Then how he had talked to Luna about his sort of artblock and how talking to her had helped him finish it up the way he initially had imagined the poster to look like. Gentiana listened through all of his explanations, smiling and nodding ever gracefully.

„I am pleased to hear that Lady Lunafreya and you are getting along. Surely she enjoys talking and working with you.“

Noctis clicked the locks of his violin case in place.  
„You think so? I don’t know if working with me is that easy though.“ He huffed out a laugh.  
„I know I can be complicated to deal with. But yeah, just talking to her is nice. She’s a cool person with a broad mind. Wouldn’t actually have thought so of someone with skills that high. Let alone an expert in medicine.“

Gentiana looked down on her hands folded in her lap.  
„It is a relief to see her being accepted and appreciated in what she does. I would not have it otherwise.“

Noctis pulled up his head and curiously frowned at the doll like woman in front of him.  
„That almost sounds like you know her, Gentiana. And not only from the news.“  
The ruby tinted lips broadened their smile.

„I have met her in the past“, Gentiana said under the rustling of her dress as she crossed her legs.  
„But this is a long time ago and not worth mentioning.“

„You mean, when you were children?“

The vivid olive eyes directed at him sent a peculiar shiver down Noctis‘ spine.  
„It is not of importance and I would like the young master to drop the subject, if he pleases.“

Noctis was confused but he had never seen Gentiana block out a conversation that way, so he thought there had to be something to it. But who was he to judge on things people wanted to keep secret. Maybe he could try and get some information out of Luna.

„That friend of yours“

„Wha—?“  
Noctis had been lost in his own thoughts that Gentiana’s voice had startled him. She seemed to have noticed this and with a pursed smile she started anew.

„That friend of yours, the one that also helped you with your art, what happened to him? Is he alright? I am sure he did not anticipate this turn of events.“

Noctis sighed at leaned back into his chair, fiddling with his thumbs.  
„I hope so. I mean, I apologised and I think he’s somehow... dealing with it? At least he’s not mad at me. Well not too much. And after all, it’s quite a thing to be promoting for Lucis, so I just...“  
He hung both of his hands onto his shoulders.  
„Argh, I just hope it’s not only annoying but does him at least _something_ good. I mean, maybe I can get dad to actually pay him for his work, so he can use this to invest into the cafe he wants to— oh! I almost forgot! Wait a sec, Gentiana.“

Noctis jumped off his chair and hurried to the bag he had laid down right next to the entrance of the room. He started to rummage around for something that turned out to be a box, wrapped in thin white paper with lavender and black swirls on it. It rustled as Noctis peeled it off and opened the paper box with a flopping sound. Gentiana followed his movements with a curious smile, as he walked back towards her with a pastry in each hand.

„That friend is actually the one who makes these. I think I have told you about them?“

He handed over one to Gentiana.  
„Ah, yes. I remember you being late that day for this reason“, she chuckled as she took in the scent of the pastry in her hand.  
Noctis had thought of asking Ignis for a take out earlier after having forgotten about it countless times before. And even though it had been busy for noon-time standarts, Ignis had granted him this request. He would have to think about a way to thank him later.

„Right, I was late that day“, Noctis grinned. „But you better try it, it’s the best I’ve had around.“

Even when having cooled down, they would never fail to summon a blissful smile on Noctis‘ face after his teeth made his way through flaky crust and the sweet berry filling slowly spread in his mouth. He deliciously licked the corner of his mouth to catch some of the powdered sugar that had dusted over his lips and expectantly looked towards Gentiana. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the pastry gone from her hands and Gentiana cautiously dabbing her handkerchief onto her mouth.

„You did not promise too much, young master“, she said her smile ever steady on her clean porcelain face.  
„They are delicious.“

„Er, uhm... y-yeah, right?“  
It was somehow unsettling to know Gentiana was able to finish up eating the whole tart at that speed. But then again there were many peculiar things about her, so Noctis just tried to let it drop and bit into his own sweets once more. Awesome. He would do his best to not eat them all right away to keep one for Luna later. He had the impression they might need it.

„Well then, I better take my leave. I believe there are dinner preparations being taken care of as we speak?“  
Gentiana rose from her chair in a flowing motion, making the fabric of her dress soundlessly sway around her ankles.  
„And the sweets shall not be the cause for any delay in the young master’s schedule again.“

„Guess you’re right.“  
Noctis licked his fingers after he finished his pastry and accompanied his violin teacher to the door.  
„Ah, by the way: should I pass Luna any greetings? Just in case.“ He couldn’t help himself asking. Somehow it felt like the connection between Luna and her was more than just a coincidence or a childhood memory but he didn’t want to be too pushy. He had already been quite pushy when talking to Ignis and that had been more than enough.

Gentiana paused for a moment, her smile diminishing. But then she turned to look at Noctis with those same vibrant eyes as before, urgent and strong.  
„Greetings should be tolerated, yes“, she said, strengthening her smile again.

„O-okay? I’ll let her know then“, Noctis answered, slightly puzzled by her choice of words.  
„Take care then!“  
Gentiana then took her leave with a graceful bow, leaving Noctis wondering about what Gentiana’s past must have been like.

He shouldn’t have that much time to dwell in those thoughts as his ever dutiful maid Maylin came running towards him, her eyes sparkling.  
_Ah, it’s that time again. I hope she’s done quickly..._

„Master Noctis!“ Maylin needed a moment to catch her breath. Something silky black was neatly folded hanging over her arm.  
„You need to get prepared to attend tonight’s dinner! I allowed myself to prepare some sets of outfits to chose from. If you would please follow me, so you can decide and put them on?“

Noctis propped up one arm onto his hip and tilted his head at the bustling maid.  
„I still don’t get why you’re not taking the offer to work at our fashion department with Dino“, he said, shaking his head.  
„The stuff you coordinate is good. Not always to my taste, but good. You should really think about it.“

The girl’s face lit up bright red in the blink of a second and she heavily shook her head in defense.  
„Nonono!! I-I like it here and, and... aaah, this is too much, please don’t say such things.“

Noctis snorted and started moving towards the staircase.  
„Okay, okay I won’t then. We should get going or I’ll be late again, right?“

 

Against Noctis‘ apprehension they were not having dinner at some place outside. Instead, Regis had taken preparations with the cooking staff so they could stay at home, much to Noctis‘ content. Mainly because this meant that he could just flop onto his bed when things were done, but also because he feared that Regis might not be up to longer ways. Noctis had noticed that his steps had become more cautious and he had started worrying about his father‘s state of health. Especially because he had to leave for a lot of appointments and therefore they weren’t around each other that much anymore. So it clearly was in favour of all of them.

Apart from the fact that there would be talk. And manners to keep. So this was clearly not in Noctis’ favour.  
At least he looked good, or well, as far as it was possible. He was wearing a chic, yet not too heavy combination that he had grown to like even with sleeves rolled down. Not that he was trying to look good for anyone he was going to meet, but at least it pushed his self-esteem.

_Good to go._

Drawing a heavy breath Noctis slid his hands down the collar of his vest, straightened his back and put on something that looked like a not-too-much-forced smile before heading towards the entrance hall.

„Oh, hey Luna!”  
The slender blond figure turned around to face the staircase.

„Good evening, Noctis. It is a pleasure to be here again. And my, look at you. All dressed up?”  
She chuckled as Noctis rolled his eyes.

„Yeah. Official is official after all and dad would lecture me if I wouldn’t. The reputation and things?”

„The reputation”, Luna sighed with an agreeing smile on her face.

Noctis quickly looked around, scanning the entrance hall.  
„But, isn’t Ravus with you? I thought it was both of you tonight.”  
Not that he would have minded. There was something about Ravus, something in the harsh features of his face and the bitterness of his voice that made him feel uncomfortable and judged in his presence.

„Yes, he is”, Luna answered turning herself towards the door again.  
„He should be here any moment, accompanying Master Regis.”

Noctis was puzzled.  
„Dad was with Ravus today? I didn’t－”

That moment the entrance door was opened and both Ravus and Regis stepped in. Noctis had actually been looking forward to see his father again tonight but the sight of him walking, being supported by the taller and younger man made his heart sink. Even more so when he spotted a copper coloured brace, tightly wrapped around Regis’ bad knee.  
Noctis’ eyes flickered in between the new installment on his father’s body and the metal studded arm of the man who was supporting him. Thinking about that metal being somehow attached to bones and inner parts of the body and that his father now somehow wore a similar construction made his stomach churn in fear an disgust. He didn’t want him ti have to rely on things like that.

„Noctis?”  
Luna’s hand on his shoulder brought his thoughts back from their spiraling. As he turned towards her with the hint of a panicked expression on his face, she slowly shook her head.  
„It’s alright. The brace is only an external support. There is nothing you’d have to worry about”, Luna tried to reassure him.  
„It serves simply to stabilise the joint.”

Noctis watched Ravus pulling his machine-like arm away from under his father’s shoulder.  
„You might need some time to adjust to the pressure but you are doing rather well”, Ravus said as he handed Regis over a walking cane.  
„The floor in here is even so you should be fine with only the cane. And be assured, you will soon be able to move around freely like that outside as well, once you get used to it. But be sure to do your exercises.”

„You have my thanks, Ravus”, Regis answered as he patted the shoulder of the man, that measured quite a bit higher than himself.  
The scene made Noctis only grow uneasier by minute.

„He could have told me at least”, Noctis muttered, trying to get back on track. He knew his father had been seeing Ravus but he wouldn’t have thought that he had actually been consulting him about his own health.  
_Why didn’t he take me into his confidence...?_  
A thought. Then he realised that this was exactly how Ignis must have felt about himself, keeping secrets untold.  
_It really sucks_ , Noctis thought as he watched the two men coming towards him and Luna.

„You’re on time, son”, Regis remarked, amusement crinkling his tired eyes. „And looking good as well?”

_You don’t though._  
„Uhm, yeah? Thanks. There are exceptions to the rule after all.”  
Noctis hoped to sound natural.

„Good evening, Noctis”, the pressed voice of Luna’s brother cut through the air. Noctis shook the hand he was offered - not the prosthetic one - and tried to ignore the (actually heterochromatic) eyes that seemed to analyse him from head to toe.

„Pleasure to heave you here.”  
He wondered how siblings could be so much of an opposite.

It didn’t take much longer until the dinner’s guests arrived. Dino in a combination of flashy turquoise and yellows that almost hurt the eyes, Professor Sania Yeager, a rennomated researcher in chemicals, the head of the Lucis Scent floral supplies, Vyv Dorden, editor of the Insomnia Times, the mayor of Insomnia and a lady police officer with silver hair.  
With nothing but business talk and preparations for the gala event ahead, Noctis begged Luna secretly to switch places with her brother, so he could at least sit next to her. She said that she’d try but couldn’t promise anything, brows drawn in apology as the guests moved towards the dining room.

„Oh, now isn’t this a merry gathering! What a relief I didn’t miss out on it”, a stretched voice echoed through the hall, making heads turn.

„A true relief indeed”, Regis answered promptly, eyeing his brother reproachfully.  
„I already was wondering where you might be.”

„As thoughtful and caring as always”, Ardyn returned with a slick voice, just scratching the edge of mockery.  
„But let us not waste more of our precious time than I already happened to, shall we? Especially with our young prodigies around. I would rather not like to see them withering in boredom.”  
Noctis didn’t miss the spikiness of his bizarre uncle’s words. He felt like throwing something back at him but having to share a table in the same room for the next hours made him rethink that impulse. It would only be bothersome. But that smug grin made him mad.

Of course Noctis didn’t get to sit next to Luna. He found himself caught between his father and his uncle, Ravus sitting to his father’s left, followed by Luna. What a promising start.  
The dinner started with the usual introduction procedure. Noctis knew what was expected of him by heart and wouldn’t even mess it up if he was asleep. There was a short moment of confusion as the lady officer was introduced as Gladiolus Amicitia, whom Noctis remembered from Ignis’ cafe, being a rather built and hairy tall man, but she quickly clarified the misunderstanding. She stated that she was present as a substitute for her superior and that her name was Aranea Highwind. Officer Amicitia was apparently busy with the training of newly joined recruits and could not attend the meeting.  
Something in her way of speaking reminded Noctis of Ignis, but in more snappish. If he had been here, the talking might have gotten a lot more interesting. Imagining Ignis talking to Dino, let alone Ardyn made a swift grin wash over his lips. He’s definitely try to get him invited.

„Noctis, are you listening?”  
At the sound of this father’s voice Noctis’ grin fell off immediately. His eyes desperately flew over the participants’ faces, searching for a hint about what they had been discussing. He caught Luna’s gaze and silently tried to cry out for help.

„Our dear Noctis seems to have his head up in the clouds”, Ardyn apologetically shook his head.  
„Do you need a bit of grounding, little sparrow?”

Noctis hated being made fun of, especially in public. He could feel anger and embarrassment flaring up behind his ears when Luna spoke up.

„I am sure Noctis was thinking about the current matter.”  
_I’m trying to buy you some time, so please think of something_ , her eyes whispered.  
„It is certainly not easy to have that many aspects to consider and I am convinced he was thinking about the complexity of affairs.”

„You seem to be quite defending his inattention, Lady Lunafreya. What an honourable gesture.”  
Ardyn liked messing around too much and Noctis would not let him do so on his cost.  
„Well, what says our dreamy-head?”

The fact that he had been thinking about wanting Ignis here _could_ be called complex, but not in the way anybody would expect. But maybe he could manage to navigate around this.

„Uhm, I... was actually thinking about that... ball? Ah, the gala we are going to have.”  
_Relax, don’t panic and just go on._  
„You know, the... preparations we have to take in terms of, uh... invitations, exhibitions, food... s-security! And location and things? There is... just so much to think about I think I lost track of the conversation we were actually having. Uh... My apologies.”  
That last one he had borrowed from Ignis, in hope to appear more serious. The choice of words made Ardyn blink in confusion and Regis also seemed to be surprised, in a positive way though. Noctis could see the figure of Luna relaxing back into her seat from the corner of his eye. The improvisation couldn’t have been that bad then, he decided.

„Noctis, I appreciate your worries in that matter and I agree that we should take care of this, while everyone is here still”, Regis agreed.  
What a blessed turn of events.

„Maybe we could get the security affairs done first?”  
Officer Highwind seemed as pleased about the dragging on conversation as Noctis had been. Maybe she really was cool.  
„As much as I like the fancy food, I’m concerned about the Chief taking care of the recruits alone. And if we have to secure the event space, there is still a lot of work ahead. So if you don’t mind?”

„Whoaah, the lady knows her stuff, eh?”, Dino fingergunned at the woman, probably trying to act cool, which failed terribly.

„Yeah, I know where to set my priorities, fancy guy”, she shot back with a flat voice. Noctis had to hold back a snort at the exaggerated face of shock Dino made.

„I understand”, Regis nodded. „Then let us proceed with the security measures first.”

Discussions were held without further happenings, and after Ravus offered to lend a hand in the preparations and Ardyn making another pointed comment about how fitting this was, it was time for everyone to take their leave. Only Ravus spoke up to have a word with Regis, alone as he emphasised. Not liking this at all, Noctis left the room together with Luna for whatever Ravus wanted to talk about. It better had nothing to do with that knee cuff or some body modification of any sorts. He would have an extra eye on that from now on.

 

Noctis took Luna to his atelier, where they both sat down and talked for a while. He got to know that Luna was keeping a pair of dogs called Umbra and Pryna, who were not only her loyal companions but also helping her out in medical affairs. „Those dogs have quite excellent noses you know”, she said. „And they are a great help with therapy. They grew up with me in Tenebrae, so they are something like my best friends”, she chuckled.

Ah, right.  
„Speaking of growing up and things in the past”, Noctis started. „I should pass you the greetings from Gentiana. Uh, I... don’t know her family name, but...”

That bit of information didn’t seem necessary though. Luna’s face lit up for a moment, surprised and hopeful before changing into something melancholic.

„Oh, so she is here after all.”  
A smile, reminiscent of older days touched her cheeks.  
„Thank you, Noctis. I am very happy to hear that she is well.”

„So you really know each other! I couldn’t believe it when I talked to her about you today. That’s some coincidence.” Knowing he was about to step into private territory, at least from what he had experienced with Gentiana’s part in the relation, Noctis pursed his lips. He wanted to ask.  
„How come? Did you meet in Tenebrae?”

Luna was facing downwards, eyes and thoughts looking at a different moment in time.  
„Yes”, she answered. „It is quite some time ago, but it was in Tenebrae. But... things were difficult.”  
She looked at him in apology.  
„I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you, Noctis. Knowing her to be fine is more than I could possibly ask for.”

Whatever there was behind that veil of mystery seemed to run rather deep. Luna looked down at her feet again, making a feeling of guilt rising in Noctis’ throat. He hadn’t meant to make her sad. Better not touch on this subject for now. A diversion, anything...

„Ah, wait! There is something I wanted to give you!”  
Noctis jumped from his seat, much to Luna’s surprise. Out of the drawer of his desk he summoned the last two of the pastries he had brought with him from his trip to town and handed one over to Luna.  
„Still got a little place for this in your stomach?”

„Oh, the ones you were talking about some time before?”  
Luna took the one she was offered with an appreciating nod.  
„I am not quite sure how much actual space is left”, she said, patting her hand on her stomach. „It is quite tough wearing a corset, you know?”

„Uh, no, not that I would know”, Noctis had to admit with a grin and was rewarded with a smile. At least the diversion seemed to have worked.  
_Good job, me._

Noctis sunk his teeth into the crust that was neither too flaky nor too crumbling, savouring the filling. This texture and taste always managed to calm down his mind and make him feel at ease.  
„Yeah”, he smiled, licking some of the jam from his lips, enjoying the velvety texture on his tongue. It tasted like magic.

Curious the young woman took a bite of her own, releasing a surprised sound as soon as it had passed her throat.  
„Oh, this is delicious!”

„Right?! I told you!”

„It was a friend of yours making these, wasn’t it? This is really impressive. And it tastes so much like the ones at home...”  
Luna closed her eyes in satisfied silence. Then her eyes flung open and with excitement in her voice she said: „Oh we do have to commission him for the banquet!! This would be absolutely lovely, don’t you think?”

Startled about her sudden outburst but not less enthusiastic Noctis agreed.  
„I know, right? I... don’t know if he takes that kind of request, but... hey, I think I could try and ask? Might as well say yes.”

„Yes, please do! And I would like to meet him once too. You always speak so fondly of him, I am sure he is a charming person.”

„Yeah, he... sort of is. I guess? I don’t know. Maybe?”  
Noctis awkwardly scratched the back of his head as they laughed together.

 

The Nox Fleurets left not much longer after that, leaving the Caelums to themselves again. Noctis was critically eyeing his father’s leg and the shiny brace, as they were walking towards the staircase.  
„You... sure you’re going to be okay?”, he asked.

Regis huffed out a compassionate laugh, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder.  
„It will be alright, don’t you worry. But you should go to sleep, son. It is late already and we are going to have a lot of things to do.”

Noctis sighed.  
„More talks, huh?”

„How right you are”, Regis smiled.  
„Now off you go. You did well today. Get some rest, son.”

„Dad?”

„Yes?”

Noctis pursed his lips.  
„You can trust me with... things like that you know?” He gestured towards the knee brace. „I’m not a kid anymore and it was you telling me to always talk about things, no secrets and stuff. We’re... family, right?”

His father sighed.  
„You really have grown a young man Noctis, and never stop reminding me of it. I tend to forget, you know? But I do remember the time when you had those nightmares and wet your bed－”

„Yeah, dad. Cool. I was seven”, Noctis grunted, slapping away his father’s hand. Regis laughed and Noctis couldn’t help but twist his lips into a weird grin.  
„Okay, but really. Tell me okay? I can take it.”

„Thank you, son”, Regis answered gently. „But now it’s time to sleep, yes? Your old man has work tomorrow, not like you.”

„Alright”, Noctis huffed. „Then I’ll see that I won’t disturb the nightly peace and sleep tightly.”

But rest didn’t come as easily as Noctis had wanted it to. His father’s health issues and the fact that he hadn’t even told him got more to him than he had actually imagined. After tossing around in bed for some time, he decided to have a look at what was left in the ice cooler. Maybe there was some milk left to go with leftover cookies.  
Noctis quietly shuffled down the stairs, his slippers making dull thudding sounds with every step. Apparently it had started to rain outside, as the faint echoes of drops against glass reverberated against the marble.

As Noctis opened the door to the kitchen, he was greeted by the both unexpected and unwelcomed sight of his uncle, sitting on the kitchen’s work space, legs crossed and a carrot in his hand.  
_What the heck...?_

„Oh, if it isn’t our dear Noctis! Coming along for a late night snack as well?”, Ardyn purred, gesturing generously towards the kitchen interior. „How nice to be granted a little company.”

Tired and unable to process this unfortunate encounter, Noctis squinted at his uncle.  
„Why... would you eat a carrot that late at night?”  
He made a face. Two things he couldn’t stand at once, and right in front of him. He should have stayed in bed.

„When the body ages you have to keep up a balanced nutrition, you know? It is a true burden, I can tell“, Ardyn regretfully shook his head and took a bite of the carrot.  
„Not all of us can be as blessed as to have sweets for dessert.”

Noctis suppressed the gagging notion building up in his throat. No cookies for him tonight.  
„Changed my mind”, he dropped before making for the hall again. But Ardyn wouldn’t let him get any further than that. In the blink of the eye he was leaning at the handrail of the staircase, blocking the way he was about to take. Noctis didn’t even have the time to follow his quick movement.

„It has been a quite interesting evening, don’t you think? So much being talked about and so many secrets to be kept.”

Noctis drew his brows into a frown.  
„Well, yeah. Things have to be planned after all. And we can’t let the press know everything when it’s still not fully thought through.”

„Oh, yes, yes. I totally understand.” Ardyn regretfully shook his head.  
„It is more than necessary to keep the officials at bay, of course. But I wonder...” He tilted his head to the side and a wine red lock of hair fell into his face.  
„Why is it that your father is keeping secrets from _you_?”

_That’s what I want to know._  
Noctis ground his teeth together. He didn’t want to show the frustration and the worry that had been keeping him from sleeping.  
„He’s got his own way of dealing with things I guess? Probably didn’t want to make me worry too much. But that’s his choice and none of my business.”

„Is that so?”  
A grin widened on the stubbled cheeks. Noctis narrowed his eyes. What was it with this man? The way he enjoyed knowing more than others and rubbing this right under their noses. It never meant good news. Noctis slipped past the tall figure to head back into his room.  
„Your father’s state of health aside, you rather prefer staying in the dark about your own engagement then, I suppose?”

Noctis froze in place. He had had that kind of talk with his father once but they had agreed to wait with anything like that for at least some more years. So what was this about?

„Ah, I see I got your attention for once”, Ardyn hummed behind him. „Curious?”

It felt as if something was blocking his throat. This had to be a bad joke. His father would not go behind his back like that. Not if it had something to do with his own private life.  
„Don’t even try, Ardyn. Turn your gossip to somebody else.”  
Noctis’ voice sounded hollow and weak.

„Oh but it is no mere gossip you know?”, Ardyn chanted.  
„I just happened to... let’s say overhear a conversation with your dear father. Just now.”

Noctis could feel his uncle stepping closer, his voice growing more and more into something like a whisper in his ear. Something in his stomach started to twist.

„See, Ravus, our little grumpy fellow has apparently asked for your hand. Ah, now, now, not your hand in the flesh, he has managed to live with that substitute of his for quite a while now. No.”  
The damp warmth of breath collided with Noctis’ ear.  
„He asked for his charming sister, Lady Lunafreya, to be engaged to you. Oh, isn’t this a lovely surprise? And your father seemed to be rather willing, you know?”

Noctis spun around, eyes wide and unable to answer. Confusion, fury and fear radiated from the shocked deep blue spheres, washing over his face in a flurry of emotion. This couldn’t possibly be. And if it was, this would shatter not only the trust between himself and his father but also Noctis’ very life, strapping him up in social expectations, forced into marriage with someone he liked but barely knew and losing what was left of his freedom.  
He needed to breathe. Breathe.

„That’s a lie”, Noctis croaked, hating how small he sounded.

„Ah, ah. I usually don’t like myself being called a liar”, Ardyn returned, waving his two index fingers. „I only thought as a member of the family, I should let you have that... rather crucial part of information your father is not willing to give. I would appreciate a word of thanks from time to time, you know?”

„Ardyn, Noctis, what are the both of you doing here at this hour?”  
As if this was not already enough, Regis appeared at the upper end of the staircase.

„Good evening brother, you seem rather restless tonight”, Ardyn bowed in greeting.  
„I was just having a trustworthy talk with my nephew about certain... family affairs.”

Regis frowned, directing his eyes towards Noctis, who was glaring at him alarmingly.

„Is it true?”, Noctis huffed out in a low and hoarse voice. He didn’t want to hear it but he had to. That promise to not decide about his life on his own anymore, Noctis had to know if it was still valid.  
Regis didn’t seem to have heard him, so Noctis impulsively yelled, his voice cracking and echoing in broken pieces from the cold walls..  
„Is it true that you have decided to marry me off?!”

The shock on his father’s face should have been answer enough. Even though something like a spark of anger flashed from his eyes over to where his uncle was standing, the surprise on his face was unmistakable. He had been caught, his scheme exposed.  
Noctis felt like the world around him was falling apart, his very existence crumbling into pieces. The trust was broken, his freedom fading, the cage closing in on him.

„Noctis, listen to me.”

„I don’t want to hear it!”  
He pressed his hands onto his ears. His head felt as if it was about to burst.  
„What good is a man’s word?! You promised me to not decide anything behind my back anymore!!”

„No, Noctis you don’t understand－”

„AND I DON’T WANT TO!”

Noctis pushed away the figure beside him, turned around and ran.  
Outside the cool rain was lashing against his face, slowly soaking what he had meant to wear for bed but he didn’t care. Noctis ran. Away from that family that had him captive his whole life. Away from his uncle who never did any good. Away from his father who had betrayed him. Away from the fate that was lying in front of him, all carved and etched in stone.  
A work of art, created and set up by the people around him, no will of his own. That was all he ever had been.

He must have lost his slippers on the way, as he noticed he started to hurt. Bare feet sliding over the wet cobble stones and gravel scratching open the skin, leaving behind burning streaks that stung with every step.

No. Not like this.

He didn’t want anyone to decide for himself anymore. Luna didn’t decide this for herself either. He didn’t even really know her, how could he love her? How could he marry her? Did she even want to? Did she know?  
Everything felt so wrong.

The cold rain splashing against his skin Noctis ran. He tripped and fell countless times, but he scrambled onwards, away, away from everything, even though there was nowhere to run.

It was that place where his feet finally came to a stop. He must have run quite some time, because not only his feet hurt but his lungs were burning, screaming for air. Noctis looked up to the windows on the first floor. All lights were out. Of course, people would sleep at night but that thought didn’t even cross his mind. They were out.  
As his gaze fell on the _Sorry, we’re closed_ sign, finally a sob made it past his throat.

He was alone in this.

Another cry escaped him, as Noctis desperately started hammering on the door. The rain mixed with the hot tears that were running down his reddened cheeks, as if trying to cool down his mind.  
He had nowhere left to go, nowhere to hide. This could have been his last chance, his secret hideout, his refuge. And he just didn’t want to let go. But the lights were out.

It took a moment to realise that the door that should have been closed was actually being opened and Ignis, in sleepwear and with tousled hair was standing there, looking at him in disbelief with sleepy eyes.

„Ignis!”, Noctis cried, relief shining through his feeling of despair.  
Drenched and exhausted he started staggering towards the figure that had appeared in the door frame. He moved like a toddler, both hands in front of him, reaching out for the where he was trying to make his way to. His feet hurt and he realised that he was cold.  
When he got close enough, Noctis gripped the seams of the man’s pyjama sleeves, pulling himself closer.

_Please don’t let go_ was what he thought as he let his head drop onto the broad shoulder and started to sob disgracefully.

_Please save me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I FINALLY HAVE A NEW LAPTOP!!! *party noises in the background*
> 
> Once again I'm so so sorry for that hiatus that went on far longer than I anticipated, not only because of my stay but also because of those unforeseen technical issues orz  
> So thank you for your patience?
> 
> I hope this chapter was worth the wait and did not disappoint. 3/4 of it was written with pen on paper, so I can't tell you how much of a mess my memos are xD  
> Though somehow the second half of it felt a bit stiff while writing. I hope this comes not through too much...
> 
> Sooo, what's up next, huh? Still building in unecessary sidestory strands in my head, making that whole monstrosity of a thing even bigger BUT at least the story is moving ahead.
> 
> Just being curious here: Any things you personally would like to know more about? Let me know in the comments or yell at me on my [tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/spare_glasses?lang=de) ^^


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which their bond grows stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much [his-spare-hats](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JesterFesta/pseuds/his-spare-hats) for helping me out and listening to me when I didn't know how to continue this!

It had started raining in the late evening and wind had taken up, but it was definitely not the wind that was hammering there on the front door.  
Ripped from his sleep Ignis groaned and forced himself into a seated position. The little gap under his bedroom door told him that it was dark outside and the slight headache was suggesting that he hadn’t been asleep for long.  
_Good grief, what now?_  
It was only today he had decided on closing the bar for the night. To get some decent amount of sleep once in a while. He had had a feeling that he might fall ill if he didn’t take a break, and now this. He ran a hand over his face and through his fringe, not bothering to even put on his glasses and slowly lumbered towards the staircase. The knocking had stopped eventually but just as he had reached the lower floor a desperate cry rose into the night, shaking Ignis awake. Whoever it was in front of his door, he must have been really miserable. Worrying that something might have happened to Prompto after all he hastened to the door and opened it.

Not sure if he was fully awake, Ignis rubbed his eyes with two fingers and squinted at the sparsely illuminated scenery.  
It was Noctis. The same Noctis who had been around today, carefree and talking about this and that, laughing together with him. This person didn’t look anything like that.  
Ignis could barely process the image in front of him and didn’t even get the chance to ask when the desperate figure reached out for him with both hands.

„Ignis!”

Before he could return any reaction, Ignis had a pair of cold, wet hands shakingly grabbing his pyjama sleeves and a mess of soaked black hair and tears right above his collarbone. There was no explanation or reason for Noctis to be here. Ignis lifted his arms to grab the shoulders of the young man in front of him. For a fracture of a moment he jerked away at the sensation of the wet shirt under his hands.

„Noct, you... you are drenched. What happened? What are you doing here?”

But Noctis didn’t answer. Instead he nuzzled his face only deeper into Ignis’ shoulder, shaking with what must have been both sobs and the cold.  
One hand intuitively cupping the messy black haired head in protection, Ignis looked to the right and left. There was nothing or nobody to be seen on the street in particular. The one thing he noticed were Noctis’ slightly ragged breaths in between muffled sobs. He must have run here, he assumed. This was kind of unsettling and alarming.

„Noct, you are going to catch a cold.”  
Ignis’ drowsiness was blown away as he guided his unexpected guest to sit down on one of the counter stools. Noctis didn’t let go of his shirt until Ignis took hold of both his wrists, pulling his hands down.  
„What happened? Your behaviour is more than alarming”, Ignis tried to get through him, but the blue eyes stayed vacant.

„Ignis, I...”, Noctis croaked, his lower lip quivering as he spoke. „I don’t want to go back. Just get me out of there, keep me here.” He took a shaky breath. „I don’t want to give my life up for them.”

Ignis drew his brows together in a frown, eyes alert and searching for any signs hinting at injuries. Noctis was wearing no shoes and seemed to have fallen on his way here, maybe he had hit his head somewhere. What he was babbling made no sense.  
„Noct, I do not understand, you have to explain－”

„Take me somewhere, hide me, I don’t care”, Noctis continued his incoherent talking, shaking his head in apathy.

„Noct, you are not making any sense, please.”

Ignis was met with a tired look, eyes rimmed with shadow and swollen from crying. The young man really looked exhausted.  
„Nothing really makes sense”, Noctis said weakly before letting his head drop again.  
„I thought... I had gotten back on track. Showed them I could decide on my own? But suddenly I couldn’t trust anyone and－”

„Noct.”  
Ignis placed his hands against both of Noctis’ cheeks, pulled him up and closer so that their foreheads were touching. He tried to get a hold of what was going on behind those eyes, staring intensely into those widened black holes. Noctis had stopped babbling and was looking at him, puzzled but seemingly conscious, waking from the stupor he had been in. Ignis huffed out a sigh of relief.

„Now, one thing after another. First calm down and take some deep breaths.”  
Noctis did as he was told. It actually seemed to help a bit.  
„Alright. That’s better.” Ignis’ voice was calm as he slowly withdrew his face and hands from the young man in front of him. He seemed to have his emotions under control, as far as it was possible, but his body was still shaking from the cold outside. It couldn’t be helped.  
“Look, you have to explain what had you running here, but I do not want you to catch a cold. Can you still walk?”

Noctis heaved himself up from the stool, flinching when his feet touched the ground. He let out a tired hiss but he nodded nonetheless.  
“I guess so.”

“Very well. Then come along”, Ignis gestured towards the door behind the counter, guiding Noctis with one hand barely touching his back. Just in case he decided to trip and fall. When they reached the upper floor, Ignis excused himself shortly to get a towel and fresh clothing from the wardrobe, before showing Noctis to the bathroom.  
“I cannot offer much, but you should probably take a shower before everything else. I will be waiting for you next door.”

“Thank you, Specs”, Noctis murmured as he was handed over the set. “And, really I... I’m really sorry.”

“Never mind”, Ignis put him off. “But I count on you to explain later.”

“Yeah, sure.”  
Noctis nodded before he made for Ignis’ little bathroom and closed the door.

At the click of the door’s lock, Ignis sighed, brushing the hair out of his face. It was not until he wanted to readjust his glasses that he finally noticed he was not wearing them. Not that it really mattered, his eyesight was well enough but the habit of fumbling around with his frames insisted on them.  
After fetching his spectacles from the bedside table, he went downstairs and turned on the gas in the little storage room. A warm beverage should do the rest in getting his unexpected guest warmed up and comfortable again and Ignis had the impression that he needed just that.

Noctis was just stepping out of the bathroom when Ignis came back upstairs, two mugs of steaming liquid in his hands. Seeing him dressed in one of his own spare pyjama combinations he had to conceal his amusement. Of course, Ignis himself being taller than Noctis would mean that his clothes would not fit. But Noctis just looked like he was way smaller than it was actually the case, his damp and messy hair adding to it. 

“Feeling a little better?”, Ignis asked as he handed over one mug to Noctis. The latter stopped fumbling with the hem of his oversized shirt and brought the mug to his face. There couldn’t be anything wrong with hot milk, Ignis had thought and he should be right.

“Yeah, a bit. Thank you for letting me borrow your stuff”, Noctis answered, sipping on his beverage. Every time he gulped down another mouthful, he seemed to relax a little more and his face gradually regained its colour. “Those are really comfy”, he added, stretching out one arm away from his body, the oversized sleeves basically hiding half of his hand. “And the milk is good.”

Ignis smiled at the sight before offering Noctis a place on his small couch.  
“It’s nothing special, but if that is all it takes”, he answered, pulling the chair from his desk closer to sit down in front of his guest. He took a sip from his own mug before placing it down on the little coffee table between them.  
“So”, he folded his hands in his lap. “Could you try to tell me what brought you here at this－ let us say rather unusual time of the day? When you just stood in front of my door, I was honestly worried you might collapse any time soon.”

Noctis clutched his mug with both hands and stared into the lightly beige coloured rich liquid.  
“Haha, yeah. I don’t even know how I was able to come running all the way”, he laughed dryly but the sound of it died down soon and was replaced by a troubled smile. “I guess... sometimes you just do things.” He shook his head.  
“I can be honest with you, am I right?”, Noctis asked, carefully checking the reaction of the man sitting on the opposite side of the table.

“If I recall it right, I even _asked_ you to?”, Ignis answered, making an inviting gesture with one hand. He would rather know everything first hand than having to encounter another surprise by chance, even though this time it clearly was about Noctis, not himself. But he wanted to know.

“Right. You did.”  
Noctis pursed his lips, despair washing over his face for a quiet second. He took a deep breath only to let it out with a sigh.  
“To cut it short, I... it has been decided that I’m going to get married.”

Ignis’ brows shot up instantly and he looked at Noctis in utter disbelief. The other looked like he was searching for something on the floor.  
“That, ah... I cannot deny that this is unforeseen news but－”

“My father was plotting behind my back, without telling me. Without even _asking_ me”, Noctis continued. His voice started to grow urgent again and he seemed to be fighting with himself, something inside him. “He promised me that he wouldn’t; that he’d give me advice but that I’m the one to design my life the way I want it as long as I’m staying in line with the family business. And now this...” He shook his head again, biting down hard on his lip to not start panicking again. “He promised...”

“Pardon me if I say so, but I believe it is not uncommon for... men of your age to be wed. Of course, I can imagine you would like to have decided on that point in life yourself but isn’t this a cause for celebration rather than despair?”

“Celebration?” Noctis looked at him incredulously.  
“I thought I had finally gotten a grip on my own life, starting to live it how I imagined it to be, loosen up the ties that bind me to whatever that... _name_ is related to. I thought I finally had the freedom to develop a will and a personality that belongs to _me_. I was so tired of being what my father and the company wanted me to be. I thought I was a person, but now I’m back to feeling like a tool. That’s definitely not worth celebrating.”

“I see.”  
Ignis had been listening quietly to what Noctis had to say. He couldn’t really imagine, what it had to be like being in Noctis’ position, having one’s life all set up, simply having to follow the designed path. But he at least had the impression that he understood part of it and that it made him feel boxed in.  
“I think your father had only the best in mind, when he decided on choosing a spouse for you, Noct. Though it definitely is a life changing matter. Did you discuss that subject already?”

“How could I?”, Noctis blurted out.  
“I only got to know just now. Not even by my dad, my uncle told me. This whole thing hit me out of nowhere and I didn’t know what to do... so I just wanted to get away...”

“I can imagine it must have been quite a shock for you then...”  
Ignis couldn’t really think of keeping something as important secret from his uncle or the other way round. Family was a place to talk about things and to trust each other. At least that was what Ignis thought it to be. He couldn’t come up with any suitable words to cheer Noctis up so he tried to tilt the conversation away from the trust and identity issue he was confronted with.  
“Say, apart from that, is marriage itself that much of a burden?”

“What would you say if somebody decided on who you’re going to live with?”, Noctis snapped back, quickly raising his mug to his mouth for another mouthful of milk.

Noctis was right. He definitely wouldn’t be pleased. Being married meant having responsibilities towards the person in question. Ignis would of course try to take those responsibilities but depending on the partner this might cause quite some distress.  
“May I ask, who...?”

“Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.”

“Oh. That...” Ignis sucked in a sharp breath trying to come up with something appropriate to say.  
“That is... quite an announcement indeed.” A celebrity wedding then. This would attract very much attention, no matter how you look at it. There would be rumours about the wedding being for profit, people trying to get a glimpse of what the newly wed couple’s life looks like, gossip of all sorts...  
Thinking about being in Noctis’ position in all this was rather terrifying. Suddenly, Ignis had the feeling that Noctis was drifting further and further away by the minute. This was nothing he could possibly help him with. What advice could he even give? Prompto would certainly know a way to cheer him up. The thought of it was irritating and if Ignis didn’t know it better, he would say that he was jealous. Actually he was vexed that he seemed incapable of doing anything for Noctis.

“I mean, she’s nice, okay?”, Noctis tried to explain. It was clear that he didn’t want to talk badly of her. “It’s not like getting married to some sort of... monster or something, not at all. But she’s just... I... I don’t _love_ her, you know? How am I supposed to live together with somebody I don’t love?”

“Well, I guess you _can_ ”, Ignis stated, thoughtfully fumbling with his frames. “I lived with people I did not really care about for quite some part of my life. You can still avoid each other, speak only of necessary matters.”

“But－ that’s not the point of marriage?! You didn’t think about having to marry one of those people, did you?”

Ignis grimaced. The memories of his time as worker in the factory definitely didn’t include any thoughts of marriage.  
“No, rather not.” 

“See? Marriage should be about love, not necessity. I mean, once I’m married I... I am expected to... I will have to－ argh!”  
Noctis brought one of his hands to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. Ignis was trying to guess what he was hinting at but somehow couldn’t make out what it might be.  
“People will expect kids, okay?!”, Noctis finally spat out, his face colour lightly shifting. “I can’t do this with someone I don’t love! I barely know her, how can I－ you need so trust and care for each other to do that! And how could th－ I never－ argh, everything just sucks so much...”

“Ahem.”  
Ignis had to clear his throat. He definitely hadn’t expected to have _that_ kind of talks and insecurities thrown at him either. Barely having knowledge himself, apart from books and what people had told him to expect, he was clearly not qualified as adviser in any of those matters. That aside he never talked to anyone about that subject, not even oh-so-eager-Gladio who constantly tried to talk him into spilling something about his sexual preferences and love life.  
“I... assume so. At least I would like it to be that way. But, to also be honest with _you_ Noct, I, ah...” He ran a hand over his chin. “I don’t think that I am... in the position to give you advice regarding this. I am sorry but I fear that I... lack the necessary experience in that matter.”

“Are you... blushing?”

Noctis was peeking at him from below his fringe, his eyebrows caught between turmoil and surprise, amusement faintly tugging at the corner of his mouth. Something in this look was beautiful.  
Ignis felt the temperature in his cheeks rising and feared his face would probably gain even more colour if he didn’t turn his eyes away.  
“It appears to be so”, Ignis answered stiltedly.

“Wow. Now that’s a relief. If you’re inexperienced, then I don’t have to feel weird about it either”, Noctis chuckled. “Wouldn’t have guessed though.”

“I only happen to share the same mindset as you in regard to this subject”, Ignis answered, eyes still lowered. He had taken up the mug to at least hide some of his embarrassment behind it.

“Who would have guessed you’d be the romantic type?”

“Now don’t be ridiculous, Noct”, Ignis answered piqued. He put down the mug on the coffee table a little too hard and hastily checked whether it was still alright. Even though he himself felt a bit uncomfortable with their topic, Ignis had somehow managed to lift Noctis’ spirits again.  
No, he was actually not uncomfortable. He wouldn’t go as far as to say excited, but some sort of tension was definitely there. Embarrassment too, yes, but－

“So, you have anyone?”

Noctis’ question ripped Ignis out of his inner discussion.  
“Pardon? I- I don’t know what this has to do with－”

“Come on, Specs, please. I told you my share and it just freaks me out. I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Ignis lifted a finger.  
“Actually you have told me about your _arranged marriage_ which is clearly not about your private－”

“Ignis.”  
The playfulness from just seconds ago had vanished in a blink of the eye. Noctis was serious, his night sky eyes meditatively scanning Ignis’ face. It was almost scary.  
“Distract me. Please.”

Ignis found his eyes glued to every movement of Noctis’ lips. Somehow - probably due to the subject of their conversation - the movement of his upper lip brushing against the lower as he pronounced the letter m looked very appealing. Taking a closer look, Noctis’ lips actually had a very aesthetic shape and in combination with his earnest voice－

 _Goodness. No._ No. _What are you doing here? Feet on the ground._

Ignis blinked fast and suddenly stood.  
“Good. But I think I might need a little help. In case you really want to hear, of course.”

“Yeah?”  
Those same blue eyes were still fixed on him, pleading for distraction and sparking with something Ignis couldn’t designate. He swallowed. Somewhat this tension got to him.

“Very well.”  
He opened up the cupboard where he was storing all of the books he had (he was very proud to own enough to fill a cupboard) and took out a carafe with brandy and two glasses.  
“Then first, will you join me in a drink? It should both distract _you_ and make _me_ speak freely.”  
Being that bold felt weird. But Noctis had been bold enough to come here that late, even though he had known that Ignis wouldn’t be running the bar tonight. So why not be bold in return? Yet this made Ignis heart pound heavily against his ribcage. What was he even trying to do?

“O-okay?”  
Noctis seemed to have been thrown off balance for a moment but a guarded yet challenging smirk began to form on his face.  
“Then bring it. I can really use that distraction.”

So they began drinking. The point was not really in getting drunk but Noctis seemed to loosen up a bit too quickly for the amount of liquor he had.  
Ignis confessed that he didn’t have any love interest, not in the past and not right now. As a clear consequence didn’t know of how love and romance actually worked in real life. Everything he knew was that it was supposed to be something soothing, a feel of ease when being together and putting the needs of the other over oneself. When he stopped talking, Noctis uttered “and that’s it?”, obviously disappointed by the lack of scandals and escapades in Ignis’ life.

“We gotta make something happen in your life, Iggy”, Noctis chuckled, taking another sip of his amber coloured liquor. “I’m not the one to talk but work all day sounds pretty boring. You need an adventure.”

“I think it was enough adventure for me to move to Insomnia on my own? Let alone that a certain _someone_ decided to make me the commercial face for their product line”, Ignis remarked pointedly, raising his glass to this.

“Haha, riiight”, Noctis grinned. “Maybe we can make something exciting out of that. Oh hey!”  
He conspiratorially bent over the coffee table, waving Ignis closer.  
“Let’s get you into romance on that gala, what do you say?”

Ignis frowned in confusion.  
“Gala?”

“Ah, right, right. I didn’t tell you yet. We’re planning some big gala event for the seasonal release with all those important people and fancy clothes and stuff. I actually wanted to ask you if you’d make some of your pastries for dessert. You get paid for your work of course. Aaaand even if you turn me down: as you’re my model, I thought of sending you an invitation anyway. No way of chickening out on that one”, Noctis added, seeming to find himself pretty cunning. “You’ll be stuck that evening with me.”

“Noooct...?”  
Both eyebrows lifted in something that was supposed to be an accusing reprimand, Ignis couldn’t hold back a smile. It was enchanting to see Noctis grinning so full of himself.  
Ignis let out a helpless laughter.  
“Resistance is futile, as it seems, so I might as well play along.” He moved his glass in slow circles, carefully not to spill any of its content.

“Awesome. I knew you’re the nice kind of guy. Why aren’t you always like that?”

“Now, where would be the fun in that? See it as a reminder to not take that kindness for granted, I suppose?”  
Ignis smirked contently and took another sip.

“Oooh, Ignis my most belov- benevolent saviour”, Noctis laughed and bowed mockingly before grabbing the carafe to pour himself another glass.

“Hardly”, Ignis chuckled into his glass.  
“But I think we should leave it at that for tonight”, he added as he plucked the carafe out of Noctis’ hands. “You had enough Noct, you’re drunk.”

“Yeah, might be”, Noct grinned in return. Gladly enough he wasn’t reluctant to let go of the alcohol.

Ignis placed it back into the cupboard and turned back to sit next to Noctis.  
“Well then, are you capable of standing on your own?”, he asked, ready to lift him up from his seat and drag him into bed.

“No sweat, I’m fine”, Noctis insisted, letting his head fall on top of the backrest.  
“But really, thanks for having me. Guess I was caught of guard by all that stuff that happened. So I panicked.” He looked at Ignis.  
“Sorry for letting this all out here again. But, you know, you are the only person I could have turned to. And right now, it somehow feels like you’re the only one I can really trust. Like...” he paused for a moment, fishing for words. “I never had to pretend anything around you. Everything was easy and I was just... _me_. You have no idea how important this is to me.” Noctis smiled.  
“Here, I’m just Noctis. Like - the real Noctis, that somehow nobody but you knows.” He giggled. “In a way you could even say I’m _your_ Noctis.”

“Now, stop saying cheesy things”, Ignis shook his head, savouring on its light spinning. His tolerance to alcohol was clearly higher than Noctis’ but he himself too felt drunk enough to fool around. He wrapped his arm around Noctis’ shoulder, gently pulling him closer to himself. He liked the warmth and the sensation of damp hair against his neck. It was soothing and comfortable.  
”But if you insist on that”, Ignis continued, “it’s my responsibility to keep an eye on that Noctis. Wouldn’t want to lose him, am I right?”

“Totally”, Noctis slurred with a drunken grin on his face and snuggled himself closer. “I knew I could count on you to save me.”

“Always, Noct. As long as you tell me.”

Somehow Noctis had overestimated the power of brandy and Ignis had to guide him to his room after all. Good thing he had that spare chamber he never really brought himself to rent out as guestroom equipped with at least bed, desk and wardrobe. Nothing luxurious, as he explained to Noctis but it should be enough to stay the night. Pointing out that his room was right on the opposite side of the narrow corridor, just in case he needed something, Ignis wished his guest good night before closing the door.

 

Naturally Ignis would be first to wake up in the morning. A hint later than he usually would but he had slept far longer than he normally did, despite Noctis’ surprise late-night visit.  
_Wouldn’t have thought the day when I finally let somebody else use that room would come so fast_ , he thought amazed, as he was preparing breakfast, shooting a look at the staircase in the back of the storage room.  
Ignis had already got dressed. Casual white shirt and black trousers under his usual red apron, fringe neatly brushed over his glasses. There was faint music and the smell of coffee in the air, rays of the cooling autumn sun peeking through the windows. He set aside the freshly made Multi-Meat Sandwiches and was washing his hands in the sink when somebody knocked at his entrance. A glance at the clock told him that it was too early by far to expect any kind of guest so the person behind that door probably had a different kind of business with him. Ignis cautiously opened the door.

“Yes?”

“H-hey Iggy, sorry to bother you. It’s been a while, haha.”  
It was Prompto, standing there in a uniform that finally seemed to fit him and made him even look like a real police officer.  
Ignis could not deny that he was surprised seeing him here.

“Good morning, Prompto”, he answered, scanning over his friend in his new attire. “I must say I’m amazed. Uniform actually suits you. And it seems you have been eating well lately?”

Prompto smiled one of his cute smiles; the ones that showed up when somebody praised him or something good happened to him.  
“Y-yeah! Aranea and big guy leave out no chance to stuff me with things. But I tell you, they’re really making it tough on me. Training in the morning, then paperwork, then training again... Can you actually believe that I started growing muscle? Me???”

“I would assume it to be a blatant lie, if I didn’t see you looking healthy with my own eyes”, Ignis answered.

“Oh come on, shortcake, that’s not how you’re supposed to do it.”  
Aranea came into view, turning around the corner of the street where she must have been waiting for any kind of signal.

“Aaaah, right, I’m sorry!”, Prompto squeezed his eyes closed and slammed his hands together in apology.

“You’ll never get to be a policeman if you’re keeping an attitude like that”, Aranea sighed, letting her fingers snap against Prompto’s forehead. “Friend or not, you have to keep job and private seperated. Got it?”

“Got it...”, Prompto whined, rubbing that exact spot with the tip of his fingers.

Aranea turned to face Ignis who had just been observing the scene in front of him.  
“Good morning, handsome”, she said, resting a fist on her hip. “Sorry to bother you but Amicitia told me to ask you about the call we just received from the headquarters.”

Ignis was confused.  
“Gladiolus did? How can I help you, Officer Highwind, what’s the matter?”

She flipped back her ponytail over her shoulder.  
“We got a report about a missing person, and not just anyone. Does the name Caelum ring a bell?”  
A smirk puckered her lips as she saw Ignis’ eyes widen.  
“Oh, so Amicitia was right. Great. They told us that they’re searching for their son because he didn’t come home last night. I think it’s just one of those things boys at that age do”, she shrugged, “but they feared somebody could have abducted him or something. So that’s why we’re here, to question you about it. Any idea where he might be?”

 _So their need for security leaves them calling the police on such a trivial matter._  
For some reason Ignis feared to be possibly accused of abduction if he gave away Noctis’ whereabouts. But then again he didn’t want to lie to the police. So what to do?

“I－ don’t really get why Iggy would know, Aranea?”, Prompto remarked a bit shyly from behind.

“Beats me”, she returned, “but Amicitia told us to come and ask. So we came to ask. Well, you know anything?”

“Whoah, that’s a lot of people here. You always that busy in the morning, Specs?”  
The husky voice coming from the back of the room drew the attention of the three people standing in the entrance. Noctis had come down, hair all messy and stepping on the hem of his pyjama trousers while walking towards them, hand entangled in his hair and absently scratching the back of his head.

“Huh.”  
Aranea made a smug face. “Don’t tell me you’ve been here all along, pretty boy?”

Noctis seemed to recognise Aranea, and shot her a surprised look.

“Dude, that’s _you_ they’re looking for?”, Prompto shouted out, pointing one finger at his friend. “ _You’re_ the Caelum son?”

The young man in question tried to shrug it off casually.  
“Uh, yeah? Guess... that’s me? Long time no see, Prompto.”

“Wow. Yeah, long time no see buddy. So _that’s_ why Gladio told us to ask here.”

“Yeah, seems like he knew all along”, Aranea sighed. “Wished he would have gone himself directly then.”

“What’s wrong? Why is the police here?”, Noctis asked fuzzily, looking at Ignis.

“It appears your family has reported you as missing after not returning home yesterday”, Ignis answered with pursed lips and arched eyebrows.

Noctis rolled his eyes.  
“Yeah, sounds like them.” He turned to Aranea. “Could you please keep it to yourselves that you found me here, Officer? I’ll be heading home right after breakfast and I’m not keen on attracting too much attention when you’re escorting me or something.”

Aranea raised an eyebrow.  
“Boy, that’s our job.”

Noctis groaned.  
“Okay, fine. Call them then. But tell them I’ll be going home by myself. I’ll be home before noon.” He turned to Prompto. “And what are you actually doing here? Working for the police now?”, he grinned.

“Cool huh?”, the blond grinned back. “Told you I was going to find something. There was sooome incident before it happened but I guess... nope, doesn’t matter. The result is what counts! And I’m doing good so far. At least I think I do.”

“Great to hear that.”

“So, everybody happy now? Love, peace and harmony? Caught up with everything, yeah?” Aranea seemed to be tired of the fussing.

“Officer Highwind, I will make sure that Noct is on his way home soon enough. Would you mind going along with his request?”, Ignis asked, trying to wrap this situation up cleanly somehow.

“Who’s assuring me you didn’t kidnap him?”, Aranea snapped back. “I don’t really think you’re that kind of guy, but I have to do my job right.”

“He didn’t”, Noctis joined the conversation. “I came here to talk last night and because it was dark outside and the rain didn’t want to stop, Ignis told me that it’d be better for me to leave in the morning. He didn’t want me to leave alone because he thought it was too dangerous. I can sign that for you if you need me to?”  
That was not exactly what had happened the night before, but Ignis was very grateful to have Noctis protect him. Even though all of this was nothing more than a big misunderstanding.

Aranea blew a raspberry and threw her hands up in defeat.  
“Okay, you guys do what you want, I’m done here.” She pointed a warning finger at Noctis. “And if you’re not home by noon, I’ll hunt you down and drag your ass there with my own hands, so you better. Blondie can tell some stories about that. And handsome.” She turned her head towards Ignis. “I’ll tell Amicitia all of this. You’re okay with that I guess.”

Having Gladio know that Noctis had stayed over would definitely be a nuisance but all better than truly meddling with the police.  
“Of course, there are no objections to be made”, he answered with a bitter ring to his voice.

The lady put on a wicked grin.  
”I’ll be asking him to tell me everything, hear me? Hey, shorty, we’re leaving.”

Prompto waved a quick goodbye before he tried not to get left behind by his superior.

“Looks like she’s having him under her thumb, huh”, Noctis remarked with a wry smile.

“She’d better”, Ignis answered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What a ruckus in the morning. It looks like I won’t be granted a single quiet moment anymore.”

“Not with me around, I guess. Sorry”, Noctis shrugged apologetically. “Guess you’re stuck with that now.”

“So much for scandals and adventure”, Ignis returned pointedly before closing the door again. “As long as you won’t get me behind barred windows, I might be able to endure it. Do you want coffee with your sandwich?”

Noctis grimaced.  
“If you... can get me some milk and sugar to put in? I am not a fan of bitter things.”

“I’ll put that on my list for future punishments then”, Ignis smirked cunningly.

“Hey”, Noctis started as Ignis put the sandwich and his cup of sweet coffee down in front of him. “You told the officer that you’d make sure that I’ll be on my way, but...” He hesitated for a moment, staring at his breakfast. “Can I ask you to actually come with me? I don’t think I can take going back in there alone. The thought terrifies me.”

Ignis sighed deeply. Sure, thinking back to Noctis’ state of well-being yesterday, he could imagine the pressure Noctis must be feeling. But him actually setting foot there left Ignis worrying about himself being totally out of place in an environment like that. But then again...  
“It can’t be helped I guess”, he answered in defeat, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I am actually doing this, Noct. Please bear in mind that you are not the only one being terrified.”

“Guess so”, Noctis laughed nervously. “But knowing somebody’s got my back makes it better. Don’t worry, you won’t have to do anything. Just.. stand by me?”

“Whatever you say. But, as peculiar as this might sound: I only ask you to keep me from embarrassing both you and myself.”

Noctis reached out to place a gentle hand on Ignis’ upper arm and smiled at him in relief.  
“Yeah. Thanks, Iggy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and all of your comments and kudos! It really means a much to me.
> 
> I thought this AU up in rough bits and pieces and never thought that I'd actually ever be writing this. The scene I had in mind first, the one I wanted to write is not that far anymore and I'm slightly terrified to write it. Then again the story grew bigger and bigger and I get the feeling that it slips past my hands a bit. With this chapter I was already thinking about where this is going, and I have at least two more background stories to deepen out the characters. Maybe I will write them as spinoff of the series, but I don't think I can include them into the main story (which is a pity, but I can't help it).
> 
> Sorry for the ramble, but I really feel unsure about the course of the story. Don't worry, I am not thinking about abandoning this baby of mine, but I'm struggling to puzzle the pieces together.
> 
> So thank you all for supporting me until now with commenting, sharing and everything. As always, feel free to let me know what you think, things you want to know or read about, things you think that happen, things you liked, things you don't... get crazy!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis enters the house of the Caelums for the first time.

“Do I have to pay attention to any kind of dresscode?”  
Ignis’ unsure voice echoed from his bedroom to the one on the opposite of the corridor, where Noctis was dressing himself. They had both their doors left slightly ajar to still be able to talk to another while keeping their bit of privacy.

A muffled snort from the other room was the response.  
“Come on, there’s really no need to stress about things.”  
Ignis didn’t like the way Noctis’ voice broke with laughter in the middle of the sentence. It was a perfectly normal question, nothing to sneer about. He was just concerned. Nervous maybe, yes but above all concerned.

“Noct, I mean it”, Ignis stated, trying to sound resolute. “I already told you that I am－”

“Inexperienced to meeting high-class people I kn－ _know_ that!”, Noctis finished the sentence. Judging the muffled voice and the following flapping sound he presumably just had gotten rid of the pyjama top.  
( _There are_ buttons _to it, Noct..._ )  
“You already told me. But hey, do you have any problems being around me?”

“... Not to the extent that I’d－”

“Good, then you’ll be fine, trust me.” Another rustling of fabric being pulled. “In the end, they’re just normal people with a bunch of money and a reputation.”

“That is less reassuring than it actually sounds”, Ignis groaned and turned his attention back to the wardrobe. He really had no idea what to wear. It was probably not an occasion calling for a suit, that was more or less sure. But then there was the problem with going underdressed and he wanted to avoid this at all costs. He was a respectable man after all.  
Ignis scanned over the clothes hanging in front of him. There was not too much of a choice, but he should own something to fit the purpose. A shirt with long sleeves, yes. He pulled out a simple black shirt and contemplated for a moment. But then, Ignis realised that Noctis had been wearing a similar one and he put it back onto the rack again. He was not keen on showing up in matching clothes. The striped one... yes this should work. And matching with this...

“Noct, will I make a fool out of myself when I wear suspenders?”, Ignis asked while sliding his arms through the shirt sleeves.

“Uhm, no? Honestly I don’t think anything you would do could have that effect. Just throw on something you’re comfortable with.”

“This is not about comfort, it’s about appearance.”

“Who are you trying to impress anyway?”

Ignis rolled his eyes.  
“Well, the people around you don’t know me at all and I don’t want to give a bad impression from the start just by having accidentally neglected something that should have been common sense. Especially concerning your father.” Suspenders it was then.

“Jeez, Iggy. You’re making it sound like I’m presenting you as my boyf－ uoah?!” Noctis’ sentence came to a sudden end with a loud thud.

Startled but without hesitation, Ignis dashed out of his room, and yanked open the door.  
“Noct, are you alright? What was this－”  
A look to the ground should immediately explain what had happened. Noct was sitting there, his upper half already dressed but his legs entangled in a mess of fabric that were Ignis’ pyjama bottoms. Those obviously being too long, Noctis must have stepped on them as he was trying to move around, lost his balance and unceremonially had fallen on his butt.

“What?”, Noctis grumbled, rubbing his lower back as Ignis shot him a gloating look.

“Rather clumsy, aren’t we?”  
Ignis had to hold back a laugh as he held out a hand.  
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t hurt yourself.”

“Huh. It’s not my fault your clothes are too big”, Noctis pouted, taking the hand he was offered and pulled himself up. “And no need for concern. I can take care of myself”, he muttered. Soon enough his lips twitched into a mischievous curve, as he was scanning the taller man in front of him.  
“Is this the result of all that fussing about appearance, Specs? Because _I_ wouldn’t want to leave the house like that.”

Ignis looked down at himself and realised, that he still had his suspenders in one hand and his shirt was dangling open, exposing the greater part of his upper body.  
“No need to remind me, I am well aware of that.”, Ignis returned flustered and spun around to finish his preparations.  
_This wouldn’t have happened if a certain someone wasn’t acting that recklessly._

Despite the little incident, Ignis was the one having to wait for Noctis to get prepared. For some reason it took him awfully long. Ignis was contemplating on checking if he was alright but before he could make that decision, Noctis finally came down the stairs. He had obviously been trying to fix his bedhead but having gone to bed with damp hair the night before had made it futile, as it seemed.

“Ready to depart?”, Ignis asked, busying himself with buttoning his coat.

“Uh, basically?”

Ignis wanted to ask what that _basically_ was about, but the question lost its necessity when his eyes caught on Noctis’ naked feet. He frowned and brought a thoughtful fist to his chin. Right. Noctis had arrived shoeless the night before. But lending him shoes that were too big would make it difficult to walk. One tripping event a day should be enough.

“Hey, no need to worry about that”, Noctis interrupted his trail of thoughts. “You can just carry me to the tram station and home from there.”

Noctis laughed as he saw Ignis’ face going from thoughtful to scandalised.  
“Relax, that was a joke. You didn’t really think I meant that, did you? Are you out of humour today?”

“Noct, you are going to ruin my nerves”, Ignis groaned; partly because Noctis was particularly exhausting this morning but mostly because it was irritating how he found himself being toyed with that easily.

 

When the tram passed the separation gate, realisation hit Ignis again. He had his folded hands tucked between his thighs and was staring at his feet. His good shoes, freshly resoled and polished, were dimly reflecting the light, the reflections moving as he tapped his toes. Next to his feet, another pair of shiny new shoes, belonging to Noctis. They had stopped by a shop on the way to get them before boarding the tram. Noctis had also insisted to be fine without buying a jacket for the time being but he had underestimated the chill the breeze was carrying. Ignis had just handed over his own coat, commenting it to be unbearable to see him clatter his teeth like that, leaving him with nothing but his scarf against the cold. But this was fine. He was trembling anyways.

They got off the tram and Noctis explained that it was not too far away from here, so they could walk the rest of the way. And who was Ignis to protest? As they walked down one of the main streets of Insomnia’s inner ring, they came across a larger billboard where the Lucis Scents advertisement was still plastered for display. Ignis, hyper-aware of everything because of the adrenaline pulsing through his veins, had the impression that the people around were watching him and wanted to get passed the poster as fast as possible. Much to his dismay, Noctis had decided to just stop and watch it instead.

“Yeah. Really leaves some impact in that size. Looking good.”

Noctis’ satisfied and outright appreciating look made something tingle under Ignis’ skin.  
“Come on, Noct, let us please move on”, he tried to urge him, pulling at the sleeve of his own coat. 

“Is it really that bad? I thought I captured you pretty well”, Noctis faked a pout.

“That may be, but please can we talk about this when we’re somewhere _inside_?”

Noctis laughed.  
“Do you know that you really change when you are embarrassed?”

The banter of the two young men caught the attention of several passers-by, looking up to the billboard and then back to them again, wondering what they had been talking about. A small group of younger business women stopped not far from them and Ignis thought he could make out their debate about whether it was actually him being the guy from the poster or not, and where one of the women had the impression of knowing Noctis’ face from. Gladly enough Noctis seemed to have heard it too.

“Wow, I can’t believe how easy it is to be spotted when you’re in town with a celebrity”, Noctis smirked and pushed Ignis into motion with a hand on his shoulder.

“This is not funny”, Ignis nervously hissed between clenched teeth. He could feel the colour on his cheeks burn their way out onto the skin. Knowing that he would have to regain posture in just a short time again made his head spin. How was he supposed to do this?

“To me it is. Feels good to finally not be alone in all that flurry of things anymore”, Noctis said. Judging by his genuinely happy face, he meant it and Ignis lost his will to counter. He let out a huff, acknowledging his defeat with a faint smile instead.

 

A gate, decorated with floral ornaments came into sight and Noctis lowered his pace.  
“So, yeah. I guess... there we are. Just behind that fancy fence.” He tilted his head and took a deep breath.  
“Man, I’m really great you’re here Ignis.”

“I would not describe it as _fence_ , this is closer to a piece of art”, Ignis stated fascinated. “It is probably not the best time to ask but do you really hate your life so much?”

“Parts of it are okay I guess”, Noctis shrugged. “But apart from my job, there are barely things of my own. Things I like, things that are actually _mine_.”

Ignis lifted his brows over the blank expression on his face.  
“And... this is where _I_ presumably step in? Noct, I don’t think you mean what you just said.” He folded his arms defiantly above his chest. This was an absolutely awkward thing to say, even though Ignis had the impression to know what Noctis was referring to.  
Yet his heart rate had decided to pick up its pace at those words. Or maybe it was just because they were about to step onto Caelum property.

“Yeah, I know, I know. I shouldn’t have said that. Sounds weird”, Noctis snorted and turned away from Ignis. “Sorry, don’t... give it too much thought, okay? Now, let’s go.”  
Just a breath later Ignis found himself being shoved towards the gate, Noctis’ hands pressing into his back with determination.

When they walked up the front court paved with flat and beige shimmering stones, Ignis could see one of the two attendants standing at the entrance door rushing into the house. He and Noctis hadn’t reached the steps to the porch yet when a man, probably around fifty, stepped out. He was wearing some kind of brace around his knee, seeming to be supporting the joint, and had a cane at hand to counterbalance. The man was paying not much attention to Ignis - his troubled eyes were solely fixed on Noctis.

“What on earth has gotten into you?”  
His voice sounded tense, torn between anger and relief.

Ignis looked to his side, where Noctis has stiffened up and partly hidden his face in the collar of Ignis’ coat. His hands were clenched into fists and his lips pressed together into a thin line. The deep green eyes flickered back to the man on the porch, who was walking towards them.

“Could ask the same thing”, Noctis returned curtly.

“Do you have any idea how _worried_ I was? How could you think of running away like that?”

“How could _you_ think of marrying me off without even _talking_ to me?”

The man, most likely Noctis’ father, regretfully shook his head. The initial notion of anger softened as he met his son’s reluctant eyes.  
“You didn’t even give me a choice to explain, Noctis.”

“What is there to be explained? We had a promise.”

“And I still mean to keep it.”

Noctis looked confused.  
“But, the marriage－”

“Is what Ardyn told you, isn’t it?”, he interrupted. Noctis’ father lifted is brows in resignation as Noctis averted his eyes, nodding to the ground.  
“The circumstances have been as bad as they could have gotten, but believing what he says right away is not like you.”

Noctis pursed his lips.  
“Couldn’t help it with that kind of news”, he muttered.

“I can understand and I would have liked to talk to you in a different way about this myself.” The older man sighed.  
“It is true that I talked with Ravus about a marriage between you and Lunafreya, but”, he added as Noctis flinched, “it is something yet to be decided. It merely was a suggestion, even though I cannot deny that Ravus seemed rather fond of the idea. I told him that I would talk to you about the offer and wanted to ask your opinion about it the following days. And then I was outpaced by Ardyn, who told you that night how everything was already set up. I still don’t know what he wanted to achieve by telling you that lie.”

“Ardyn...”  
It was more a growl than an actual word rumbling up Noctis’ throat.  
At least the tension between father and son had weakened, which made it less awkward for Ignis to stand next to his friend and watch all of this.

Noctis’ father placed one hand onto his son’s shoulder and gently squeezed it.  
“We still have to talk about that matter, so I ask you to take your time and think about it.” An apologetic smile moved his lips.  
“But above all, I am glad to have you back now. I would have blamed myself if anything had happened to you.” 

“Dad, I’m fine. I can get along without help by now, you know?” Noctis returned. “But... yeah. Sorry for making you worry, I guess?”

“Tell me, where have you been all the night?” His father furrowed his brow as he took a closer look at Noctis.  
”And what coat is this?”

 _This is my keyword then_ , Ignis thought and all of a sudden he felt the adrenaline bubbling up his throat again. He didn’t want to be the centre of attention but it probably couldn’t be helped anymore. What to say? How to talk?  
_Just keep focused and act as you always do_ , he tried to remind himself, unconsciously straightening out his back.

“Ignis lent it to me earlier because he was convinced that I was cold. He also was so kind to let me stay over the night”, Noctis explained, softly patting Ignis on his arm.

As soon as Ignis felt the pale green eyes shift over to him, he took a short bow.  
“It is an honour to meet you, master Caelum. My name is Ignis Scientia and I, ah... happen to be an acquaintance of your son.” His heart was beating in his throat. He was, without a doubt, being scrutinised and hoped to pass the test. Actually it wasn’t even a real test and Ignis wasn’t even sure _that_ something would happen if he did not pass it. But he was hoping nevertheless.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Ignis”, Noctis’ father returned and held out his hand in greeting.  
Ignis took it, unsure if it was impolite to directly look at his face or not.  
“Regis Caelum is my name. I must thank you for accommodating Noctis this night. I hope he didn’t cause too much trouble?”

“Not at all, sir. I am living on my own and had some place to share so it was not much of a problem. Yet I must apologise for having kept you worried about Noct’s whereabouts. I was not in the know of the circumstances behind his nightly visit.”

“It is quite alright. I am not blaming you for anything.”  
The man was maybe analysing him, yes, but his features were anything but hostile. This had to be a good sign.  
“On the contrary, thank you for taking your time to accompany my son back home. You didn’t have to.”

“It was the least I could do.”

Noctis’ father smiled.  
“Do you care about joining us for lunch? I don’t know about your own schedule, but if you can spare some time, I would like to invite you.”

Ignis’ stomach was twisting. This really turned out to be some adventure. He would get the chance to catch a glimpse of what high-class life was like. And a meal would certainly be inspiring for his own cooking later. But the manners... Ignis’ eyes flickered over to Noctis, who was shooting him a meaningful grin.  
“I, ah... I don’t want you to trouble yourself on my account.”

“Oh but it is no trouble at all”, Regis assured, making an open gesture towards the entrance.  
“Please come in. Noctis, I trust you to be a good host to your friend.”

Noctis, having watched the procedure from the side seemed to be gathering all of his strength to not burst out into laughter.  
“Yeah, don’t worry. I got this”, he managed and turned towards Ignis as his father lead the way into the manor.  
“What is it with you being that submissive? It’s so funny to look at”, he chuckled.

“Excuse me for trying not to be impolite”, Ignis hissed back, embarrassment written all over his face.

“You’re definitely trying too hard.”

“He is an important man, Noct. You cannot expect me to just－”

“He is my _dad_ , Ignis”, Noctis rolled his eyes and finally burst out in laughter. While flushed Ignis tried to urge Noct into lowering his voice, Regis peeked at the boys from over his shoulder with discreet curiosity.

Once inside the entrance hall, Ignis stopped for a moment to admire what he was seeing. A large staircase to the right, leading to the gallery one floor above, rimmed with finely chiseled columns of white marble. The floor was flagged with tiles of white, blue and black, arranged in a pattern that reminded him of ornaments he had seen on porcelain tableware. And if he squinted, he could spot fine strands of gold peeking out in between the polished layers of stone.  
It was breathtaking. And surreal to think that this was not an official building or an art gallery - it was Noctis’ actual home.

“Specs, you’re gawping.”

Ignis spun around as he heard Noctis chuckle next to him.  
He cleared his throat.  
“You cannot deny that it is quite impressive”, he tried to defend himself, pushing up his glasses with one hand to avoid looking at those amused blue eyes.  
“I was caught off guard for a moment, because I didn’t know what to expect. That’s all there is to it.”

“Right.”

The grin on Noctis’ face only made it harder to hold his stirred up mind together.  
“And it would be very kind of you not to mock me, Noct. It is rather unfair to be honest.”

“I’m not”, Noctis assured, unable to swipe his haughty smirk off his lips.

_I somehow doubt that..._

As Ignis turned his eyes forward again, he noticed that Regis was walking towards another person that was standing in the hall (had he been there all along?). Judging by his appearance, he had definitely to be someone artistic, Ignis thought. His silverish hair was swept up and away from his face, his pearl coloured shirt was shimmering in purples and greens as he moved and that mint coloured long cardigan had a rather extravagant sparkling lace around the sleeves and neck. Ignis couldn’t imagine where one could even find such clothing.

“I am sorry for having left you so abruptly, Dino”, Regis addressed the man with an apologetic gesture.

“No problem!”, Dino waved his hand, his arm displaying an impressive amount of dangling bracelets.  
“Glad to see everything’s back in order. Good to have you back, Highness”, he pointed a finger at Noctis. “Next time, might wanna think twice about making your father worry. Besides, we’ve got work to do.”

“Argh, don’t call me that”, Noctis scowled. “You know I hate that.”

“And you know that I hate when you just leave without a single word. I could’ve needed your help in the morning. But hey, that’s just how things go. And who did you bring with you today? ... Oh?”

Dino turned towards Ignis and stilled a moment before he squinted at him.  
“Wait... I know your face?” He closed their gap with a few determined steps, eyes ever fixed on the guest. Ignis had to hold himself back from flinching. Thin eyebrows were drawing together in a frown and Ignis briefly wondered what his natural hair colour might actually be.  
“Hmm... Pardon the intrusion.” In a swift movement, Dino had snatched the glasses off his face and pulled aside the fringe to take a closer look at his face. Ignis had barely the time to process what was happening, when the flashy man snapped with his fingers.

“I knew it! You’re the guy on our posters! Nice to meet you, name’s Dino.”  
He slapped the shoulder of lense-less Ignis, whose face was now glowing a deep read.  
“Who-hoaa, no need to be ashamed. You’re a pretty good looking guy and Noctis worked so hard to bring out the best of you. You should’ve seen him the last days before the deadline. I swear, he was－”

“Okay Dino, stop right there”, Noctis groaned and shoved the man away, much to Ignis’ relief. He could have been mistaken, but the hidden quiver in Noctis’ voice made him sound embarrassed too. Anyways, it was good to have him here. Ignis would have been totally lost by himself, he thought as he put back on his glasses and brushed his fringe back into place. Not that he would ever be here without Noct though.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice, Regis”, Dino addressed the older man, who had been curiously observing the scenery.

“You’ve got me there”, he replied clearing his throat.

“What? You’ve been promoting our stuff for over a week now, nonstop. And you don’t remember our face for the campaign?” Dino laughed disbelieving.

“Well, this is why _you_ two are in charge of the artistic part of our company. I am afraid that I don’t have the eye for it as you do. Besides, I’m standing _in front_ of the poster, so I can hardly look at it.”  
He turned to address the younger man with a sheepish smile. “Forgive me for having been ignorant, Ignis.”

“N-no, it’s－ it is really nothing.”, Ignis answered in defense. Who was he to be apologised to by a man of that rank? Everything about this situation was absurd.

“I think we were talking about having lunch?”, Noctis suddenly jumped into the conversation, pulling at Ignis’ arm. “I’ll take him to the dining room then. You can talk about whatever you still need to, we’ll be waiting there.”  
And without another word, Ignis found himself dragged to one of the doors facing the halls, leaving the two other men behind, just like that.

It was more than obvious that Noctis was trying to get Ignis out of the situation. At least to Ignis it was. In normal circumstances he would have teased Noctis for being so blunt and transparent. Right now, he was just glad that he tried to save him from being spun around any more.

“I promised to keep you from embarrassing situations”, Noctis murmured as he noticed Ignis to relax his stance. “Can’t break my promise, can I?”

Ignis managed an exhausted nod. That Dino person was definitely a character he didn’t know how to cope with yet.

“But really, you’re way too much on edge, Specs”, Noctis continued, his brows drawn together in pity. “They are only people after all. Not much different from me actually. And you are just a shadow of yourself right now. Pull yourself together.” A muffled snort escaped him.

Amazingly enough, Noctis trying to calm him down, his hand still around Ignis’ wrist had that exact effect. He was right. Ignis had been used to talking to strangers. Any barkeeper would have been. That was actually a good way to put it. Maybe he could look at it that way.

“Fairly enough, I never thought to see the day _you_ are actually the one having to ground _me_ ”, Ignis sighed as the wooden door to another impressive room fell close behind them.

But if he was honest, he didn’t hate it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter brought to you by the humble me, thank you so much for reading!  
> Also, I realised SAviD reached 100 kudos, guys I'm crying here. I would have never thought that this story was going to get so big and reach so many people. Thank you for your support and all your lovely comments and of course, liking this.
> 
> So, a little easy flowing chapter. Nothing much going on but we can't have full party every time |'D  
> When proofreading this, I realised how touchy and pushy Noct has become. This was not even intended, but I guess it's just how he wanted things to go... |D


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis talks with Regis and bakes. Again.

Lunch was taken at the long dining table made of solid wood, that was basically taking in all of the room. As Noctis casually explained, usually his father was sitting at the end of the table, while he himself used to sit down to his right. Ignis didn’t really know what he should do with that bit of information but gladly enough Noctis continued. He told him, that normally with guests around, the guest would have to sit at the opposite side of the table, which would have been facing towards Noctis. He added that he didn’t want Ignis to collapse of nervousness, which is why he suggested they’d sit next to each other.  
Ignis returned a pointed remark about how he would most certainly not have that low of a tolerance to unknown situations but the relaxing in his shoulders betrayed his unspoken gratitude.

“I am sorry to keep you waiting, boys.”  
The doors swung close as Regis had entered the room. He rounded the table to sit down on his usual seat.  
“I have informed the kitchen about our unexpected guest. Do they need to pay attention to any sorts of allergies, Ignis?”

Ignis drew in a breath with a start.  
“N-no Sir, I am fine. Thank you.”

“I hope you didn’t ask them to add any more greens to my plate again”, Noctis groaned and shuffled with his feet as the tableware was placed in front of him.

“No, no, son. No greens for you today”, his father answered, thankfully nodding towards the man who was setting their dishes.  
“But I have made sure to have them add carrots. You cannot avoid eating them forever.”

“Argh _why_?!”

Ignis involuntarily snorted at the conversation, knowing very well about Noctis’ aversion to the vegetable.  
”Excuse me”, he added hastily, trying to suppress his smile when Regis was looking at him in cheerful surprise. Noctis was glaring at him dismissively.

“So you _knew_ I don’t like them.”

“I fathomed you don’t.”

“So you did that carrot thing on purpose!”  
Noctis looked at him incredulously .

“One could say so, yes.”

“I will so make you pay for this, Specs”, Noctis grumbled and swatted the arm of his right hand neighbour.

“I’d like to see you try”, Ignis returned with a smug grin.

“Ahem.”  
A theatrical cough from the end of the table brought the young men’s attention back to the room. Ignis had blocked out the presence of Regis and instantly felt like he had to apologise for this. Regis didn’t seem to mind though.  
“You two are getting along very well”, Regis stated with amusement. “I rarely see Noctis act that casually towards others.”

“Yeah, because you would correct my ‘inappropriate behaviour’, Noctis returned sulkily.

“Well, that would be in case of our customers and guests, not just anybody”, Regis corrected him with one raised eyebrow.

“And who else would be around here then? It’s not like I have much of a choice.”

“You make it sound like living here is annoying to you. Tell me what you would prefer instead?”

Noctis rolled his eyes and looked for refuge with his hand in Ignis’ shirt sleeve.  
”Specs, help me. He’s twisting my words again.”

 _When he thinks_ we _are being close, I wonder what he would say if he saw Noct and Prompto together_.  
Yet, Ignis couldn’t deny that this kind of acknowledgement made him happy. Besides, to his relief Noctis’ father seemed to be a man of humour. The kind that suddenly appears out of nowhere and catches you off guard.

Talking about being caught of guard, Ignis found himself just as such when the soup had been served.  
“So, Ignis, would you like to tell me a little more about yourself?”, Regis asked. “I am curious to hear who it is my son made friends with.”  
Of course he would be. Ignis probably would want to know too what kind of people his son is surrounding himself with. If he had one that was. Hoping for the best he straightened his posture and put down his spoon before he directed his speech towards Regis.

“I am not used to talk that much about myself, so in case there is more information you require, please do not hesitate to ask.”  
Next to him Noctis was struggling not to giggle again and Ignis did his best to ignore it.  
“Well, as I said before, my name is Ignis Scientia. I was born in Insomnia but grew up in the countryside of Tenebrae. I have lived there until a few years ago, when I moved back to Insomnia to start a life of my own.”

“Tenebrae you say?” Regis nodded. He didn’t mention anything about Ignis accent though, which he himself appreciated.  
“We used to spend a lot of time there when Noctis was still a child. You see, it is where we harvest our Sylleblossoms for production. You might have come across our fields.”

“Indeed.” A calm smile scurried over his lips. “I often went there when they were in bloom. A magnificent view. The scent still reminds me of home.”

“I can imagine. But excuse me for interrupting. You are living in Insomnia now, you say?”

“That is correct. I am running a bar and my living area is right above on the first floor. It is not much, but I am able to make my daily living.”

“He’s saying _bar_ but it’s actually more like a café, right?”, Noctis jumped into the conversation.

“Well, I suppose you could say so, yes. Despite the opening hours that is.”

Regis looked at Noctis, eyebrows in a high arch over both of his eyes.  
“You’ve been there before, Noctis?”

Noctis casually shrugged and took another spoonful of soup.  
”Yeah. I mean, that’s how we got to know each other. I started drafting my works there. I think I even asked you for some time to be able to go there.”

Regis ran his hand over his beard.  
“Yes, I think I remember you asking for time in your schedule. So this is where you spent your time then, I see. You’ll have to take me there some day. Is it far from here?”

“Not really. You take the tram, pass the gate and then it’s not that far anymore. Ten minutes?”

“You _pass_ the gate?”

Ignis tensed up at the way Regis was confirming what he had heard.

“Do you mean you have been going to the lower ring all that time? By yourself?”

Noctis defiantly held eye contact with his father. The light atmosphere had suddenly been pushed away by an intangible tension. Ignis looked at the plate in front of him, trying to make his presence as unnoticeable as possible. He swallowed.

“Yeah. By myself. I knew where I was going, dad.”

“Do you know what could have happened, Noctis? It’s a dangerous place to go alone.”

“Oh come on!”, Noctis’ voice flared up. “I’m not a kid anymore. And it’s not _dangerous_.”

“Do you know what kinds of people are living there?”

“ _Dad _!”__

__Noctis flashed his eyes at his father. The latter was taken aback by the sudden outburst of his son, but with a flicker of his eyes over to Ignis he understood. Ignis was concentrating on the little bubbles in his soup, teeth clenched and his pulse hammering in his ears. This would be the point where he’d get thrown out and would never get to see Noctis again._ _

__”I did not mean to be rude, Ignis. Forgive me.”_ _

__“It is alright.” He dared to carefully look at Noctis’ father, who was obviously regretting what he had said. Maybe the part of being thrown out would follow later then.  
“If... it eases your mind, Sir, I can assure you that Noct－” Was it even appropriate to use the nickname in front of his father? He corrected himself. “That Noctis has not been endangered for a single moment. I am certain of it.”_ _

__“So you are a man from the lower ring then, Ignis?”_ _

Ignis took a breath.  
“Yes. I, ah...” His brow twitched as he was searching for words. “I hope this does not make me less qualified to... approach your son. I can fully understand that you are worried about his whereabouts and his safety, but I... want to believe that there is nothing harming him when he is with me.”  
He was not even sure what he was talking about. The words were gone, just as soon as he had uttered them. Trying to estimate their reactions, Noctis seemed to be flustered, whereas his father shot him an apologetic smile with pursed lips. 

__“No, Ignis. I am sorry to wrong you. You must know that there is a certain... image and opinions about people coming from the lower parts of the city. Learning that you are from there is quite a surprise. Against the rumours, your manners and behaviour are excellent. This is why I didn’t even give a second thought about your social background.”_ _

__“I am sorry to not have made it clear from the beginning, Master Caelum”, Ignis answered. He could feel his ears glowing red but he couldn’t help it. It was an embarrassing situation. But he had been praised in some sort of way, that was undeniable._ _

__“So, how old are you actually?”_ _

__It seemed like Regis was trying to get the conversation onto normal tracks again. Ignis was thankful for that. With a look at Noctis, who was rolling his eyes towards him as an apology for his father’s behaviour, he tried to play along._ _

__“I am 22, Sir.”_ _

__“This makes your behaviour only more remarkable. And you are running your own business, you said? At that age?“_ _

__“Yes. I need to live off something and I prefer working in order to do so.”_ _

Regis blew out an appreciative breath.  
“You seem well educated and able. I guess your fiancee can consider herself lucky with a man of that quality at her side.” 

“That’s, ah...”  
Ignis bit his lip and averted his eyes. He knew this set of value all too well. His uncle was just the same. And yes, he was in the age of marriage.  
“I do not have a fiancee, Sir. I am living on my own. My job barely leaves time and ressources for myself. I probably could not expect to sustain somebody else, let alone meet a perfect match.” 

__“Now that is a waste”, Regis smiled at him. “You seem to be a reasonable and trustworthy young man. And a handsome one.”  
Ignis didn’t know what the point was in being showered with praise, but he felt uncomfortable with it. He looked around on the table, shifting on his chair. There was nothing to be made up for. He hadn’t been meant to be here in the first place._ _

__“Wouldn’t have picked him if he wasn’t”, Noctis muttered, loud enough to make his father’s head turn to him again and send Ignis’ face to glow in a deeper shade.  
“Speaking of which, I have invited him to the gala as well. As face of our campaign, he basically has to be there, right?”_ _

__“Well”, Regis huffed, “apart from fearing a reckless behaviour of yours to ‘make your mark’ in front of a newly gained friend, I don’t think I have any reason to decline.”_ _

__“Come on, I’m not that bad”, Noctis grinned, obviously cheerful that his plan proved to have been successful. For Ignis this meant stepping into a social circle of well orchestrated mannerisms. He would try not to leave Noctis’ side that evening, that much was sure.  
“Thaaat aside”, Noctis let his hand fall onto Ignis’ shoulder, so that the young man almost jumped off his chair. “You absolutely have to try the pastries he makes. They’re so good, honestly. I’d have gotten Ignis to join us with those if you had said no. But as you didn’t this makes it a bonus.”_ _

Ignis blinked fast, trying to regain balance in this flurry.  
“Y-yes, well at least Noct seems to have taken a liking in them”, he added wearily, wondering if the alarm of his clock woke him up any minute, yelling at him for having slept in. But it didn’t look like it.  
“If you will lend me your kitchen, I can see what I can whip up with the ingredients at hand.”  
Why had he said that? 

__In contrast to Ignis’ exhausted confusion, Noctis’ eyes were glistening eagerly in response.  
”Nice idea, Specs!! He can, right?”_ _

__Noctis’ father sighed, shaking his head at his son.  
“You really are in a peculiar mood today, Noctis. But yes, if he is willing to? Are you, Ignis?”_ _

__“It was my suggestion, Sir. This goes without question.”_ _

__“Very well. Noctis, would you show him around then? I am afraid I still have matters to discuss with Mrs. Yeagre after lunch.”_ _

__“No problem, leave it to me”, Noctis grinned. “But you’ll be back for tea, right? The pastries taste best when they’re still warm.”_ _

__“I will see what I can do”, Regis smiled in defeat as the plates were changed for the main menu.  
“Is it alright to leave you in his hands?”_ _

__“I daresay I have become rather used to it”, Ignis gave a helpless chuckle as his own plate was placed in front of him and the delicious smell of a rich sauce rose into the air.  
_Might as well try and enjoy it then_._ _

__After this, lunch proceeded without further happenings of any sort. The talk took a more casual, normal turn and Ignis found himself relaxed enough to actually pay attention to the food he was having - which was, undoubtedly, delicious and refined. The meat was tender and he could taste a hint of cinnamon in the coulis. That was worth taking a mental note. To his left, Noctis was still picking around in his carrots when Regis got up and excused himself.  
“I am looking forward to experience your craft that my son seems to be so fond of later. Please make yourself at home”, Regis told Ignis before he left the room and the young men to themselves again._ _

__“You alright, Speccy?”  
Noctis put his fork down to peer at Ignis, mischief written all over his face. “The colour game of your face was quite a show.”_ _

Ignis patted his mouth with the napkin and arched one brow.  
“Is that so? Well, taking into account that I have been welcomed, then invaded in my private sphere, unknowingly been looked down upon just to be apologised to and praised in return, you cannot deny that this is quite something to go through. I still spot vegetables on your plate, by the way.”  
He didn’t really have much energy left to counter Noctis’ cheekiness, that was intimidatingly strong at the moment. 

__“You don’t say”, Noctis returned, the corners of his mouth pointing down. “He always does this.”_ _

__”Then he has a reason to, I suppose. You might want to finish them though, or else I might not be able to get my baking done in time. It takes a bit longer without my usual stock at hand.”_ _

“Yeah, right...”  
Noctis looked at the wall clock hanging on the opposite side of the room.  
“Ah, damn. We really have to get things going or I’ll be late for violin. Come on, let’s go.” He jumped off his chair and had already half passed behind Ignis when he noticed the latter’s reproaching gaze.  
“What?” 

__“Noooct...?”  
Green eyes flickered over to the plate orange sticks were innocently piling up and back to him._ _

__“I’ll have them keep it for later, okay? Now let’s go.”_ _

__Before he knew what was happening, Ignis found himself being dragged out of the room again.  
_Spoilt brat_ , he thought but could not keep a wry smirk from creeping onto his face._ _

__

__The kitchen was huge. Ignis was used to cook on what space he had left behind the counter. This space being rather limited, probably every other kitchen might have seemed huge. But seeing some of the latest novelties in cooking devices assembled in one room left quite an impression. A thing that particularly caught Ignis’ eye was the small sized coffee roaster. This would have been the first step to actually being able to open a real cafe, like the one he always passed by when he had been visiting the upper ring. The reason why he still hadn’t been able to get his hands on it was the price..._ _

__“Okay, listen, I need to get changed and things before I go to my lesson, so I’ll have to leave you here for a bit. Are you alright with that?”_ _

__Ignis turned his attention towards Noctis, who was looking at him like a five year old asking for cookies.  
“I, ah... am I permitted to use all of this?” He made a wide gesture around the room._ _

“Yeah, sure you are. If you need something, just ask Coctura. She’ll help you out. Ah!”  
A woman, Ignis assumed her to be said Coctura, came in from a door in a corner of the room.  
“Coctura, great that I caught you before leaving. Ignis is going to be making pastries for tea today. Would you mind helping him out, show him around the kitchen and stuff?”  
The woman looked surprised but agreed to Noctis’ request without giving it too much thought, as it seemed.  
“Okay then. I’ll see you later, Iggy.” 

__And then Noctis was gone, leaving Ignis and Coctura behind.  
“The young master is in a good mood today. It’s been a while”, the woman said, approvingly crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you have something to do with it, uhm...?”_ _

__“Ignis Scientia”, he briefly presented himself. “I don’t know if _I_ do, but the pastries I have been asked for might. If only everybody was as excited about something like that, I guess I could make an easy living as simple patissier.”_ _

__“So you’re new in service here then?”_ _

__“Oh, no, Mrs. Coctura. I am running a bar in the lower parts of Insomnia but I happen to be a friend of Noct’s.”_ _

“Now that’s rare. I didn’t know the young master had any friends. But it’s a relief to hear he does. I was worrying from time to time.” She brushed a strand of hair out of her face.  
”And you’re from the lower parts, you say? I’m not living far from the gate. Maybe I’ll look for your bar next time I have a free evening. Be sure to leave me the name later. Good, what is it you need?” 

The two checked on ingredients and tools, while casually chatting about cooking methods and Ignis found himself relaxing gradually. The chef was a lovely woman with a lot of skill as it seemed and very easy to talk to. When they had sorted out the necessary, Coctura took her leave. She told Ignis that she’d be examining the stock and making a list of things to buy but in case he wanted to ask something, she explained him where to find her.  
And then, Ignis was alone.  
It was refreshingly quiet. 

“Good gracious...”  
Ignis slid his glasses off his tired face and ran his hands over it. Everything was absurd. Nobody would believe him that he walked into the Caelum residence just like that. Prompto would. Good, Gladio would too. But no normal person would.  
Now this was rude.  
He sighed as he put his glasses back on and rolled up his sleeves to start preparing the dough. 

The working steps were nothing Ignis had to occupy his mind with. His hands were versed in all of their necessary movements. Flour and butter turned into a paste, the water and more kneading into dough.  
It felt natural and Ignis felt like he was literally getting a grip on himself again. It was simply reassuring and soothing to feel the tension in his shoulders decrease.  
He wondered if Noctis was good at playing the violin. 

The first batch of pastries in the oven (he had decided to make a second one for Coctura and the kitchen personnel), Ignis brushed away his fringe with the back of his hand.  
“Drat”, he cursed as he noticed white dust fluttering down in front of his lenses. This meant that he had managed to get some of the flour into his hair - the last time he had managed to do so was basically when he had started the bar.  
_Now of all times_.  
He took off his glasses again, wriggling his now clean fingers through the hair to get the flour out of it. 

“Aah, it gave you that charming air of clumsiness.” 

Ignis jerked up his head at the sudden voice of a stranger he hadn’t even heard enter the kitchen. His frames back on his nose the shape of a tall man came into focus. He must have been about as tall as Gladio and his long black vest let him appear even taller. He was wearing a curious but defying grin, framed by hair of a rather unnatural purplish red. 

“I beg you pardon but I did not intend to convey clumsiness”, Ignis returned warily, not taking his eyes off the stranger. 

“What a pity”, the man returned with an ominous purr. He began rounding the worktop with a sweeping stride. “I would ask who you are, but I am already in the know you see? I wouldn’t have dreamed of finding our dashing model in the kitchen though, I must say. But would you be so kind to tell me by which name you go?” 

“Ignis Scientia”, Ignis answered stiffly, shifting the weight onto his other leg. “And who do I have the honour to talk to?” 

The man in front of him took a generous bow that sent his extravagant scarf flying with a mocking sway.  
”Oh, I am nothing but a man of no consequence”, he purred. “What’s in a name?”  
The self-claimed “man of no consequence” had quickly reached Ignis’ side and even though the air was filled with the smell of sweets, Ignis didn’t fail to notice what might have been called “stench” in terms of intensity if it wasn’t cologne. It made him involuntarily crinkle his nose. 

“So, tell me, Ignis, what is a good looking young man doing here in the kitchen? Cooking something up perhaps?” 

“I don’t want to state the obvious, but I am baking, Sir.” 

“You don’t say!”  
His gasp was undeniably fake and he didn’t even want to hide it. Ignis was irritated.  
“So you decided to quit modeling and play the Sugar Plum Fairy for the Caelum offspring then?” The man reached out to pinch Ignis’ jaw, only to let it slap back and give it a light smack. “What a shame. You will go to waste babysitting him.” 

__This was the second time somebody in this house had touched Ignis’ face all of a sudden without even asking for permission. No matter _who_ this man was, he definitely lacked in respect._ _

__“I would appreciate if you stopped invading my private matters”, Ignis shot at him with drawn brows. “Besides, modeling is not my profession. It happened in the course of things.”_ _

__“Humble now, aren’t we?”_ _

__As the stranger didn’t show the slightest inclination to do anything but continue staring at him, Ignis started to feel a drip of sweat running down his spine. It irritated him only further.  
“Excuse me but should I go and get Mrs. Coctura for you? As you might have guessed I am not familiar with whatever you came to look for.”_ _

__The man clicked with his tongue and puckered his lips.  
“Oh no, there is no need to bother her with my presence. I just heard a commotion in the kitchen and came to check what it was about. I am a very curious man, you see?”_ _

___This is unmistakable, in every sense._ _ _

__“Ardyn, what are you doing here?”  
Regis had soundlessly appeared in the door and was now reproachfully looking at the man. Ignis was glad to see him._ _

__“Ah, the party people have arrived so I must part with you”, the man called Ardyn drawled out the words with a playful smile, putting a hand on Ignis’ shoulder. His amber eyes were hard under the dangling strands of hair._ _

__“I would like you to pay attention to your language and comportment when we obviously have guests”, Regis reprimanded him but was only returned a languid shrug._ _

__”Do not fear, I was already on my way out. We shall talk later, _Ignis_.”  
With a rustle of his clothes, Ardyn disappeared from the room, a loud swoosh of air when he passed the door._ _

__Regis rubbed his temples, shaking his head.  
“I hope he didn’t bother you with anything? Ardyn is a... peculiar person.”_ _

__“I am fine”, Ignis assured. “But frankly, I did not expect to meet you again in the kitchen, Master Caelum.”_ _

__The older man gave an amused laugh.  
”Please, call me Regis. There is no need to keep any false distance with friends, same goes for friends of my son. As for me, well, when I came back there was this delicious smell in the air and I just couldn’t help stealing a glance. Or a bite maybe.” He winked._ _

__“You’re not going to start without me!”, Noctis barged in, bringing in a faint trail of Sylleblossom.  
“Are they ready?!”_ _

__Ignis had to laugh. Maybe he was just exhausted but this was so merry a gathering, after all the ups and downs it felt like heavy armour was falling off his chest.  
“They should be, yes”, he answered, softly snorting at the enthusiastic Noctis in front of him.  
“But they are still very hot so be careful not to－” 

“Fhey tafhte befft when fhey’re hot! Aaah, fhit!”  
Noctis had immediately grabbed a pastry and stuffed half of it into his mouth and was now feeling the consequences. 

__“I told you?”_ _

“You should listen to your friend’s advice”, Regis affirmed while he took out some plates from one of the cupboards. “He seems capable of good judgement. Though I must say that it has become a rare sight, seeing you that enthusiastic.” 

Noctis gulped down a glass of water.  
“Aaaah, shit that was really hot.” He fanned his mouth. “But seriously, you’re going to love it.” 

“Then let’s take this conversation to more comfortable accommodations. Ignis, would you mind helping me carry over the dishes?” 

”But of course.”  
Ignis hesitated. “Could I just...”  
Regis blinked at him, encouraging him to go ahead with his question.  
“Would you permit me to brew a cup of coffee? I’d very much like... to use the coffee roaster, if you permit me to that is.” 

__

Not much later the three men were sitting in the dining room again, each with a set of pastries in front of them and a cup of tea, cocoa or coffee at hand. Regis seemed to understand his son’s behaviour after having had one bite. Those pastries were indeed delicious. There basically was no way around preparing and serving those at the event, the guests would love it. Seeing both father and son alike in their eagerness, Ignis could not possibly decline the request. 

Not long after tea, Ignis had to leave the property to prepare his bar for the night shift.  
He left with an open invitation from Regis to come over again any time he liked and Noctis’ bright and slightly triumphant smile as companion for the way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Completely out of context: I FINALLY BEAT NOCTIS IN THE FRIENDLY MATCH, oh man I thought I'd never make it.  
> Eat your veggies, stubborn prince of Lucis.
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> Thank you very much for your patience and for reading the new chapter! I know I let you wait (again, I feel so bad) and the fuel ran out a bit in the end a bit, but I very much hope that you still enjoy it. I think the fic slowly deserves a subtitle, something like "pastries are the true heroes" or "why pastries save the world".  
> As usual, let me know what you think, what you liked or what you expect to happen. I'm always glad to hear what went through your minds ^^
> 
> A hug goes to [his-spare-hats](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JesterFesta/pseuds/his-spare-hats) for helping me to make Ardyn the true diva he deserves to be xD (Her Ardyn is great, go and check it out if you haven't yet.)
> 
> Come and visit me on [tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/spare_glasses). I don't bite~


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis has an urge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious what Luna was up to during chapter 20?  
> Then you might want to read [chapter 20,5](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635836) before you start on this one.
> 
> It has no major effect on chapter 21 but serves as additional background info.
> 
> Now enjoy chapter 21!

It was hot. Far too hot to be plausible for a normal autumn night. Noctis could almost feel the sweat break on his nape, catching in his hair to eventually drip down onto his back, leaving behind a trail of cool. He could make out light coming from somewhere, soft, orange light that wrapped everything in warm and velvet tones, accentuating the feeling of heat.  
Noctis blinked, a curtain of lids and long lashes only adding to his hazy vision, feathering out on the edges. A rasping groan made its way out of a dusty throat as he shifted under his sheets. He tried to swallow.

_Sheesh, I have to drink something._

He sat up, too quickly as it seemed as the room started spinning and swirling. There had something to be done against this heat. Noctis wiped his loose fringe from his forehead in two strokes. Thanks to the sweat it stayed where it was.  
When Noctis swung his legs over the edge of his bed, he felt an invisible string around his chest tugging and pulling at him. He could not get up.

“Noct?”

The low rumble of a familiar voice made the thin hair on his arms rise in response.  
 _Fascinating_ , Noctis thought absent minded, as he turned to look around, slowly so he would not lose his balance. He met a pair of emerald eyes, heavy lidded and glistening in the twilight of the room.

“You were not leaving right now, were you?”

Noctis drew in a sharp breath. How had it escaped him that the way his tongue clicked against his teeth and his lips wrapped around words made something tingle in his stomach? He felt automatically gravitating towards him, unable to take his eyes off the peach coloured pair of lips, slightly parted in anticipation.

“Ignis.”

The other man looked so much younger without his glasses, softer with his tousled hair, strands of sand across a pair of pleading eyebrows. Noctis didn’t even need to recall why he was here in the first place. Instead, he found himself biting down on his lower lip, which was about to curl into a meaningful smirk. He crawled back over the sheets on all fours.

“You know I couldn’t possibly leave your side”, Noctis hummed, looking right down at the face that had grown so familiar by now but would never cease to amaze him.  
“Not that I finally have you here.”

Noctis reached out and gently traced the high cheekbones down to the jaw, causing Ignis to shiver by the time his fingertips had reached the crook of his collarbone. As those fingers started to draw slow circles on his chest, moving downwards bit by bit, Ignis’ eyebrow twitched and he closed his eyes with a soundless sigh. Noctis had been lucky that the air was so stuffy. Knowing Ignis, he probably wouldn’t have taken his shirt off otherwise and Noctis wouldn’t have gotten the view he now had.

“Noct.”  
The well articulated sound of his name brought Noctis’ attention away from the slender body back up to Ignis’ face.

“Yeah?”

“I am... it is embarrassing being stared at like that”, Ignis huffed with glowing cheeks. “It... it is inappropriate.”

Noctis licked his lips and flung one leg over Ignis’ body, his knees on both sides of his hips, towering him.  
“You can’t blame me, looking like that.”

Ignis averted Noctis’ eyes with a flinch, jerking his head to the side. Noctis saw himself offered a wide opening, an elevated pulse throbbing against the skin of Ignis’ neck, visibly but with hesitation. Noctis’ grin only widened.

“You are being way too inviting to make me believe you’re that oblivious, Specs.”  
Noctis followed the line of Ignis’ neck up with his nose, stopping at Ignis’ chin to press a gentle but firm kiss onto the beauty mark, that was shyly peeking out from beneath his skin.  
“Let me show you.”

Hot lips traced their way down Ignis’ neck again, stopping just once to gently nibble at the spot right where the shirt collar usually ended, coaxing out shy hums and softly ragged breaths. Then they went up again and relished in sucking on that soft and special place right behind the ear, an alternation of soft, wet lips and a demanding, burning tongue.

“Noct, please－ah!”  
Ignis covered his mouth to suppress a moan, rising up in his throat as Noctis’ hand was walking down his body, caressing his chest and following that thin and sensitive line in the middle, circling the belly button and running along the rim of his underpants.

“Touch me, Ignis”, Noctis breathed into Ignis’ ear.

The next moment he had his hands on him. Ignis’ broad and skilled hands, slender fingers mapping his back and wrapping around his hip bones. Shy touches, exploring new territory and becoming bolder with every beat of the heart.  
Noctis then started to roll his hips, slowly and testing, rubbing against the inner thigh of the man below him. His teeth were grazing over Ignis’ earlobe, nibbling at it playful and teasing.

“You are doing things to me”, Ignis managed under a shuddering breath, before Noctis silenced him by crushing their lips together in a kiss. It was hot and messy, but Noctis couldn’t care any less.

“I want you”, Noctis gasped before deepening the kiss again, tongues chasing after pleasure, trying to win over the other for a prize that was yet to be set.  
He could feel Ignis’ hand brushing down his abdomen, and tentatively cupping what had grown strong and bold with passion in his pants. With every move and every touch of his fingers, it grew more and more difficult for Noctis to focus, blood raging through his veins in electric sparks, making his feverish skin seem far too tight for what lay underneath. The fingers finally found and pressed against the spot of pleasure that flicked over the switch to drive Noctis crazy. A loud and strangled moan escaped from the depths of his throat.

 

The remains of the moan still lingering on his lips, Noctis’ eyes flung open wide. He found himself lying on his back, looking at the ceiling, panting. An undeniable pressure from below yelling at him, angry and pulsating. The sheets were cold and there was nobody there, not next to him and not beneath. The rushing of his own blood in his ears and the fast fading shadows of a dream were all that was left.

_Shit!_

Had he been talking? Did anyone notice? Noctis perked up his ears. All he could hear was the rushing of blood and the sound of his own heavy breathing so he wanted to believe that what had happened in his head had stayed there, or at least the greater part of it. That didn’t excuse how it had gotten in there in the first place. How Ignis had gotten in there.  
Noctis fiercly pressed the heel of his hands onto his eyes, mortified by the persistence of the vivid image behind his lids, Ignis looking at him with hazy eyes and parted lips.

This didn’t really help. Shower it was.

It was not the first time Noctis had experienced something alike so he knew how to take care of it. He usually did. But with a face, a familiar face on his mind this just didn’t work. Noctis couldn’t remember the last time something had put him off track and made him feel embarrassed like that but it probably had been the time he had accidentally wet his bed at the grown age of eight.  
He pressed his forehead against the cool tiles and held his breath as he decisively turned the cool water tap.

 

“Do you have everything?”, Regis asked as Noctis was about to leave. Noctis could feel the checking gaze. He was wearing leisure clothing, so in his eyes he must have looked underdressed, more or less.

“Hmhm”, he answered, casually swinging his bag over the shoulder. Nothing much to take with him. A bit of money, sketchbook for just in case.

“Judging by your clothing you are headed for the lower parts of the city, I suppose?”  
The questioning eyebrow made Noctis roll his eyes.

”Dad, I already told you: it’s not a dangerous place. I’ve been there countless times and I’m still in one piece. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“I am sorry Noctis”, Regis shrugged. “Sometimes I just cannot help being a father.”  
A disbelieving look made him chuckle.  
“Are you going to be at Ignis’ place?”

Noctis’ eyes widened while the other features of his face froze in place.  
“N-no, I was... planning on catching up with a friend.” He had to prevent the conversation from drifting towards that - not to say sensitive - point.  
“Working at the police, his name is Prompto. I-I think he’ll be on duty at the banquet so I’ll present him to you then. Gotta go now.”  
Without another look at his father Noctis rushed out of the entrance hall, intentionally running at full speed to the tram station. It freed his mind. And his lungs from what ever air had been in there. But he didn’t regret it, even though he was gasping as he boarded the tram. His mind felt clearer. And talking to Prompto would add to this. It had to.

 

The police station was easy to be found. Noctis had passed it a thousand times on his way to Ignis’ bar (where he was not headed to now) and so it was easy for him to spot the station he had to get off at. Well visible it was, right at the corner of a bigger downtown crossing, a glinting metal emblem boasting above the hustle and bustle. After taking a look right and left, Noctis pushed the entrance door and made for the inside.

His eyes had to adjust for a moment, as the place itself was kept rather dark. A man, probably in his late forties, was sitting behind a massive table that served as some kind of front desk. The nameplate read _Dave Auburnbrie_.  
Noctis cleared his throat to get the attention of the policeman, who was concentrating on an article in the newspaper.

”Uhm, excuse me? Mr. Uh, Auburnbrie?”

The man lifted his head.  
“What can I do for you, laddie?”

“I uhm... I’m looking for a friend of mine. Prompto? He should be working here as some kind of recruit. Is he around?”

Dave frowned and shook his head.  
“I’m not that good in remembering people’s given names. We don’t use them that much, y’know? That’s why we have those tags here standing around.” He gestured at his nameplate.  
“So, do you have a family name, perhaps?”

“Uhm...”  
Noctis brooded on it for a moment, only to realise that he never asked for his Prompto’s family name before. He didn’t know.  
“No I... I don’t. He’s just... Prompto. Scrawny guy with blond hair and a lot of freckles?”

When the eyes of the man started lighting up in understanding, a familiar voice grumbled from behind.  
“Leave him to me, Dave. I think he means Argentum. Long time no see, young Master Caelum.”

Noctis spun around to see the big officer behind him. The one he had run into a few times in Ignis’ bar. He remembered the incident with his sister.

“But since we’re not here on official terms”, Gladio continued with a grin, “’Noct’ should do the thing, right?”

Noct pursed his lips and straightened out his back. He didn’t know if he liked being addressed that way either. That was something reserved for closer friends, but then again the master-thing sucked too.

“Hey, I’m talking to you, princess.”

“Stop that”, Noctis snapped.

“I’m gonna go with ‘Noct’ then. You gotta problem with that?”

“... No”, Noctis grumbled. He should ask Ignis about the guy’s character next time when he got there. Whenever that would be. When nothing was embarrassing anymore. Right. That’s why he was here.

“Alright”, Gladio shifted his weight onto his other leg. “So, you’re here for the blondie, right?”

“Uhm, yeah. I wanted to talk to him about... I wanted to talk to him.”  
There was no need to tell him why or what about. This was nothing of interest to him. Or maybe it was. But he would tell Ignis about it if he knew, Noctis felt that.

“Follow me.”  
Gladio gestured towards the little staircase.  
”He should be up with Highwind’s paperwork. He’s probably pretty busy, but I guess he can spare some minutes.”

The wooden steps creaked under every step Gladio took and Noctis wondered if it had ever happened to him to accidentally break one. But he didn’t ask.

“Oh, Gladio, you’re back!”, Prompto squeaked from somewhere on the first floor. “There was stuff I didn’t really get in this report and Aranea said－”

“I brought a visitor for you”, Gladio interrupted him and dragged Noctis into the room with an arm around his shoulder. “Take a break. I’m sure Highwind doesn’t mind if there’s still some left when she gets back.”

“Aw, man! You don’t know what she’s going to do to me! The last time, I－ _Oh_. Noct?”  
Prompto had clearly not expected to see him here.  
“Dude, now that’s a surprise!”

“Somebody’s got to check on you, if you do your work right, I mean”, Noctis returned.

“Oh no, not you too! There’s enough to handle with these two here!”  
Prompto waved his hands at the two desks, one being the one he was working at, the other where Gladio had sit down.

“Careful, Prompto or your break turns to overwork.”

“Noo, pleaaase! I’m sorry big guy, don’t do that to me.”

Gladio only grumbled out a laugh and waved him off as he started checking on the files on his desk. There was quite a pile of them, as Noctis observed.

“Phew. So, Noct, what you’re doing here? Missed me?”

Looking at the bright sunshine grin, Noctis thought that he really might have.  
“Maybe?”, he answered with a crooked smile of his own.  
“Prompto, can I just... talk to you for a sec?” His eyes flickered over to Gladio and back to Prompto.  
“Alone?”

“Sure”, Prompto shrugged.  
”We’ll be sitting on the entrance steps for a bit, Gladio.”

“Don’t be away too long, or you’ll have to live with the consequences I’ll be coming up with.”

“Yes, Sir”, Prompto playfully rolled his eyes.  
“Let’s go, Noct!”

 

Sitting on those steps in front of the police station, it felt like the first time Prompto had come to talk to Noctis. When he had been drawing in front of the bar instead of inside. And there it was again, the impression of knowing each other for such a long time and being able to talk about just anything.

”Aaah, you just came over at the right time! That desk stuff is killing me”, Prompto moped while stretching his arms over his head, before propping them up behind him.

“You seem to get along pretty well though.”

“Yeah, it’s easy with Gladio. He’s cool. Aranea is too, but she has that... temper thing going on, you know? ‘Gotta work hard if you wanna play hard’ and things.”

Noctis snorted at Prompto’s way of impersonating her. He hadn’t lost that talent of his and Noctis doubted he ever would.  
“The guy at the front desk had me for a moment though. Didn’t know your family name was Argentum.”

“Ah, yeah, that one. It’s not actually”, Prompto grinned.  
“I didn’t have any family name but working at the police made it kinda necessary. So big guy and Aranea had that epic battle about how they’d call me.”

“And they ended up with Argentum?”  
Noctis lifted an eyebrow.  
“Kinda flashy, isn’t it?”

“Hehee~ I know, right? Really fancy.”  
Prompto nodded proudly. He seemed to have grown accustomed to the name and that he had taken a liking to it.  
“Well, I don’t even remember who it was, but they said, it would fit because of that saying. ‘Speech is silver, silence is gold’? And one of them pointed out that I was talking so much, and boom! That’s how I became Prompto Argentum.”

Noctis laughed.  
“I don’t know if this is something to be proud of, but congrats on that.”

“There’s worse I guess”, Prompto grinned and ran his index finger under his nose before toning down his voice.  
“So, what’s that oh-so-secret thing you wanted to talk to me about? _Alone_? I saw that look you gave big guy up there, so it has to be something.. secret? Exciting?!”  
Prompto bat his eyelids, eagerly awaiting whatever Noctis had come for.

_You better keep that one a secret_ , Noctis thought, uncomfortably shifting at the direct tackle of his friend. He hadn’t expected having to get down to business right away. He could basically feel the pictures pop up again behind his eyelids and he shook his head vividly to get rid of them. No red face this time. And it was just a dream. But still...

“Whoah, what’s up with you. That bad?”

“Uh, no, not really. Or... maybe?”  
Noctis had started nervously tugging on his bangs.  
“Argh, I don’t know, it’s just... really embarrassing. Like _really_. And... I don’t really know if I _want_ to talk about it, but now I came here and... oh man...”

He looked at his friend to see a very bewildered but curious expression spread out on his face.

“It’s not really... something bad. I guess? Or is it? Jeez...”  
Noctis buried his face in one hand.  
“Okay, let me just look for words for a moment.”

Prompto eyed him curiously.  
“You know, I don’t know if this is something you’d like to hear. And, I mean from me being... being me? But you have a kind of aura today? Like... you look round and soft and... well, cute? I-in a positive way, please don’t hate me?!”

Noctis’ face fell.  
“ _Cute_?!”

“Er, yeah! Well, see? Like...”  
Prompto was wildly gesturing around, both excited and a bit uncomfortable.  
“You’re somehow being fluffy. Like, not that spiky as usual? I mean, with all that snazzy banter and stuff that’s usually going on with you? Oh!”  
Prompto fake-gasped and approached Noctis with his hand in front of his mouth.  
“Does this something have to do with what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Prompto, look. I... argh.”

Noctis couldn’t decide anymore if he preferred some sort of distraction from the subject or if talking about it would actually make it any better.

“I mean, you could always talk about it?”

Distraction, maybe, after all.

“And sometimes talking makes it better. Like, better to... cope with things? Whatever it is, dude, you should know that I’m cool with everything. I mean, have you ever seen me freak out?”

...

“You are freaking out, right now.”

“Because I want to knoooow”, the blond pouted.

Noctis grumbled and took a breath. He couldn’t look into his friend’s eyes, so he focused on the tip of his shoe instead.  
“Do you ever... dream weird things? I mean, not nightmares and stuff, but...”  
He hated to feel that a pink flush was prickling on his cheeks.  
“... fantasising about... _doing things_?”

Prompto had caught on the changing face colour and his eyes started sparking.  
“Oh-em-gee. Noct. Are you telling me you fell for someone?”

“No!”, Noctis protested, but then again he wasn’t so sure. It was not like he didn’t think Ignis was attractive... But everyone would. He was absolutely certain.  
“... I don’t know?”, he added sheepishly.

Prompto instantly shifted towards him, his chin propped up on his fists in anticipation. Noctis could see that he was doing his best not to squeak.

“Look, it happened this morning somehow, and... I don’t even know how or why, okay? And I’m just... I don’t know what to think of this. I feel like... like I should feel bad? Argh, I don’t want to talk about it after all, drop it.” He waved at Prompto’s curious face coming closer with ever bigger growing eyes.

“Tell me, Noct. Pretty pleeeaaase?”

“... Okay. Don’t laugh, don’t freak out and most of all, keep this a secret.”

“I solemnly swear”, Prompto said with a hand on his heart, before falling back into his inquisitive pose.

Noctis held his eyes fixed on the ground, trying to ignore the burning sensation under his skin. He shuddered as fractions of the dream washed over his closed lids. He drew a breath.

“Ignis.”

It was barely a whisper but it definitely had reached the blond’s ears. 

“No. Way.”

Noctis had enough courage to glare at Prompto.  
“You told me wouldn’t freak out?”

In the next second he had Prompto’s hands clasped around his shoulders and a more than excited Prompto beaming at him. Slowly but surely he started to shake him.

“Dude. _Dude_!”

“Now don’t lose it!”  
Noctis freed himself from the hands. He didn’t like the eager look and that big smile that was spreading over Prompto’s face. Just like a child who got his favourite surprise present. Oh Heavens, he should have kept quiet.

“But this is so excitinggggggg”, Prompto squeaked with teetering knees.  
“Since when? Will you tell him? Or does he already know?”

Noctis hid his face in his hand and signaled his friend to stop with the other.  
“Prompto... I don’t even know if he is into guys. I didn’t even know _I_ was.”

“What does it matter if you’re into _him_ and he’s into _you_? That’s really all it takes. The really important stuff”, Prompto returned with a smug smirk and wiggling eyebrows.

“Don’t do that thing with your eyebrows”, Noctis burst out into awkward laughter. He had to admit that Prompto was right though. Once again his carefreeness and impartiality made everything easy and Noctis was grateful for it. It made him feel less weird. More legit. But most of all less weird.

“So, Iggy, huh? I mean, I can’t blame you. He’s cool, smart, good looking, cooks just awesome? And as far as I know, he’s single too. ‘Obtainable’ he’d say I bet”, Prompto giggled.  
“So basically there should be no problem in launching an attack?”

Noctis groaned.  
“Prom, I’m going to be _engaged_. That’s the biggest problem.”

“You mean, everything is just like in a real epic drama? Forbidden love and all that stuff?! Sneaking out behind your wife’s back, defying the rules of society?!”

“You’re way too excited.”  
Noctis sighed.  
“I just hope that sort of thing will eventually vanish from my head.”  
That was a lie.  
“I don’t want to make things complicated just because of some kind of crush. It’s already complicated enough. I’m fine with the way it is. I guess. I should be.”  
 _And I don’t want to gross him out._  
That would be the worst case.

“Hmmm... Well yeah, you can’t judge that kind of thing just because you had one _dream_.”  
Prompto crossed his arms and wiggled with his eyebrows again.  
“Buut, you’re going to pay extra attention to that from now on, that’s for sure. Just see for yourself, give it a bit of time. I’m seriously rooting for you though”, he added with a whisper.

“Yeah. I guess.”  
Noctis scratched the back of his head and huffed out a deep sigh.  
“Honestly though, I don’t see Iggy in any kind of relationship. He looks way too busy to be interested anything like that.”

“It’s not like he’s not interested”, Gladio returned, “but Ignis is the kinda guy for perfection in everything he does. If he can’t perform the way he thinks to be appropriate, he won’t do it.”

“Yeah, sounds like him”, Noctis agreed.

“Hmhm”, Prompto hummed.

“HA?!”

The two boys yanked their heads around, only to see the big police officer standing behind them, hands on his hips and with an inquisitively arched brow. Noctis felt cold sweat trickle down his spine.

“H-how long have you been standing there?!”, Noctis barked, instantly regretting his harsh tone. How much more suspicious could it get?

“Got anything to hide, _Noct_?”, Gladio grinned as he squatted down to the height of the sitting boys.  
“You were talking about Ignis and his non-existent love life. And you’re not wrong about that. I’m always trying to get some info out of him, but he’s a tough nut. Never talking much about himself, just shooting back one of his oh-so-sophisticated remarks.”  
Noctis saw Gladio’s amber eyes quickly running over him. He didn’t know what to make of this.

“Well funny you guys noticed that too.”

“Y-yeah, sure!”, Prompto laughed nervously.  
“I mean, he’s cool, he’s smart, he can cook... We were wondering why he was still on his own. R-right, Noct?”  
The attempt to turn it into a casual talk was much appreciated.

“T-totally, haha...”

“I guess he needs someone to just kick his ass.”  
Gladio scratched his beard.  
“Actually, Noct would be the perfect guy to do it.”

Noctis’ heart made a jump and he jolted around.  
“Why me?!”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“I... y-yeah?”

That smirk on Gladio’s face spoke of mischief.  
“He was pretty worked up about that ad of yours. The perfume one. But I know him long enough by now to say, that his reaction was weird. I’ve seen him angry already, but that expression...” He shook his head and grinned.  
“Saw that one for the first time. And he’s pretty protective when it comes to you, so you might be somebody to actually crack that tough nut. Dunno what he thinks about this, of course, but just saying. And you don’t know that from me.”

The following seconds Noctis was busy to decide if he wanted to shout at Gladio, hide in shame, laugh it off or really go for it, while he couldn’t hide the bright red blooming on his face.

“No shit, I hit home? Dang, this is like watching a real life theatre play.”

Prompto couldn’t hold himself back anymore after Gladio somehow had gone along with his own trail of thought.  
“Totally, right??? Let’s support them, help them, whatever! This is going to be so much fuuuun~”

“Nuh-uh.”  
Gladio grinned and waved his hand in front of the enthusiastic blond.  
“No cheating. Where’d be the fun in that? I know. I want to tell Ignis as much as you, but that’s not a thing to do.”

“Y-yeah, that’s d-definitely not a thing to do”, Noctis stammered, defensively crossing his arms.  
“I can still decide what I am going to do and most of all I don’t need your help.”  
 _Man, what did I actually come here for?!_

“The canvas is all yours.”  
Gladio heaved himself up and pulled Prompto on the collar of his uniform with him. “Enough chit-chat Prompto. You should have enough energy to work again.”

“You bet!”

Seeing the two men getting along that well made Noctis’ stomach churn. He was definitely in for being teased for his crush. And those two, real gosspis as it appeared, would be a true pain in the neck from now. They’d absolutely be making up scenarios, stories about him and Ignis, titling it ‘the lovestory that never meant to be’ or any other sappy title they could think of.  
He hoped they wouldn’t though.

“If I hear any of this anywhere, I so make you regret everything”, Noctis grumbles as he stood, almost losing balance once before he walked down the stairs.

“No worries”, Gladio laughed.  
“We’re not going to interfere. But we’ll be watching you. After all that’s our job.”

Noctis made a face at the cheesy and suggestive wink from the tall guy.

“Now in you go Argentum, there’s paperwork to do.”

“Yes Sir! Leave it to me! See you Noct! And be sure to keep me updated”, Prompto turned around and slapped his hands together in a quick beg.

“Sure thing...”, Noctis murmured, walking away from that rather unusual confession box. He would have to try and get his emotions back under control. Or at least get them into some kind of order. If he really had feelings for Ignis, he would have to think about what to do and how to live with them. And what would Ignis say. What would his father say?

_I’m in for a ride_ , Noctis sighed as he walked towards the tram station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... don't even know what to comment x'D  
> But I'll just leave this here and patiently wait for any feedback of some kind |'D
> 
> Thank you for taking your time, as always. This means so much <3


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis witnesses Noctis' violin skills.

After a short while of observing the entwining swirls of marble and strands of gold in the pillars framing the staircase, Regis came down said stairs to greet Ignis, who had been waiting in the entrance hall. He was limping a bit, as Ignis noticed, but once he had mastered the stairs, he twirled around his walking cane casually. Maybe the brace was a knee support of some sort, he thought before Regis raised his voice.

“Hello, Ignis. Thank you for always taking your time and coming all the way here. And sorry to keep you from running your business regularly. I will make sure to refund you properly.”

“Never mind that”, Ignis waved with one hand, “I just hope to be more of help than a nuisance in your planning, Master Caelum.”

Regis lightly patted Ignis’ shoulder as he guided him to the meeting room.  
“I think I already told you, but let me remind you again that ‘Regis’ is just fine. And believe me when I say that Noctis would be mad if I didn’t treat you appropriately. He was very concerned about that actually”, the older man chuckled as he slid through the door first.

“I presumably should thank him for that”, Ignis huffed as he followed the older man into the room.

True, he was not that easily startled or uncertain anymore when he came to the residence. To some extent he could at least conjecture what was going on behind the doors, even though he was incapable of estimating the scale or the importance of the event they were constantly talking about. But the fear of overstepping or making other mistakes had definitely regressed.

Noctis had practically insisted on him taking part in the preparation talks. Ignis could not make out the additional value of him being present - even Noctis wasn’t there most of the time; practise for violin recital if he recalled it right - but as Master Caelum－ Regis had joined his son in his efforts at persuasion, Ignis had basically been unable to refuse.  
Even if he didn’t play any major role in all of this, at least he had gained some self-confidence throughout the sessions. Ignis felt a lot more stable now, a bit more at ease when walking through the luxurious rooms, heels elegantly clicking with every step he took. It was better when Noctis was with him though, safer, more familiar.

There were only few people sitting around the table for which Ignis was rather grateful. Of course there was Regis, leading the conversations and the man with the silver hair, Dino, who had approached him more frankly than Ignis had deemed appropriate at their first meeting. Then there was the young chef, Mrs. Coctura, whom he had met the other day and who was a very charming person. After those meetings, Ignis had often found himself in a chatter about cooking and recipes with her. Until Noctis had come to escort him back that was. 

Today, Ravus Nox Fleuret was supposed to join the round. Instead of seeing him as an exceedingly capable and famous doctor, Ignis tried to think of him as a fellow Tenebrean, to keep his cool of course. This intention crumbled to pieces though, as the tall and lean man with white hair strode into the room, making for the seat to Ignis’ right. He was a quite impressive figure.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Dr. Nox Fleuret.” Ignis had risen from his seat and greeted Ravus with a short bow.  
“My name is Ignis Scientia. I am...” He hesitated a moment. “I am in charge of the culinary organisation together with Mrs. Coctura.”

“I value your good manners, _Mr. Scientia_ but I believe this meeting does not require them. Keep them for the official part, if you please. Behind the curtain Ravus is enough”, Ravus answered curtly.

 _Now that is quite a way to cut down on formalities_. Ignis pursed his lips but didn’t go further into Ravus’ introduction. No matter where they came from or what their profession was, people were still people with all their quirks. This seemed to apply for _Ravus_ as well.

Ignis wondered if his sister, the Lady Lunafreya was much alike her brother. He wasn’t fond of the idea of Noctis to be wed to what seemed to have the emotional range and the charms of an iceblock. He deserved better - at least in Ignis’ opinion. But it didn’t look like she would be joining them today. A personal meeting would have to wait until the actual banquet.

Ignis then found himself being stared at with a piercing gaze that made the hair on his neck slightly stand on end.

“Have we met somewhere?” Ravus squinted at him, as if he was trying to find something hidden on his face.

Ignis averted his eyes and cleared his throat.  
“I don’t recall having had the pleasure to meet you before.”

“My apologies then. I didn’t mean to be rude”, Ravus excused himself and took a very quick bow, an almost unnoticeable nod really, before he sat down.

“Let us begin then”, Regis opened the meeting and gestured over to Coctura. She had prepared a plate with a selection of amuse-bouches and canapés to be served as appetiser with the champagne and wanted some last feedback before entering the final preparations.  
_To think I came here for fine food_ , Ignis thought amused, but he enjoyed it very much. It seemed much closer to the dream of his own, refined café than his actual everyday work did. Maybe he should think about offering a catering service. Although that would mean employing staff in order to be able to do so.  
_Another time then. Try to savour on it for the time being. You don’t know how long it will last._  
And for some reason, this thought brought along a whiff of regret.

Having discussed a lot with Coctura in advance, Ignis didn’t have anything to add or any suggestions for improvement. The spices were well balanced and they had exchanged a lot of ideas beforehand. Everything was according to plan. Even Ravus could be seen raising his eyebrows in surprised acknowledgement.  
Dino was contributing his usual two cents in terms of food presentation and how the decoration could be adjusted to better fit what he had planned for the napkins and other adornments. Those changes were of minor effort though and Coctura diligently noted everything, signaling Ignis that he wouldn’t need to help her with that. She insisted though that Ignis took care of the pastry preparations. She had tried variations of her own but something had always been off - at least according to Regis’ and Noctis’ judgement.

“Maybe you’ve not been putting enough love into it”, Regis joked and made Ignis clear his throat with that comment.

“It is mere practise and routine, I can assure you”, he commented, almost failing to hide the sheepish smile tugging at his lips. Ignis was proud to see his handcraft valued. And he couldn’t deny that he took his joy in seeing both Noctis and his father lighten up with excitement when he took a tray of freshly baked pastries out of the oven.

They had been tasting a lot of variations the past days, just the four of them together in the kitchen. Coctura was mainly trying to understand what went wrong with her own creations, watching Ignis’ every move thoroughly while Noctis and Regis were stuffing themselves, deciding on what flavours to go with. Of course Noctis would opt for the Ulwaat berries. That had seemed to be his one and only priority, which had left Regis choosing the remaining two. It had been a lot of fun.

Actually a lot of things had started to be fun. The people on the market seemed friendlier, their range of goods wider, despite winter being at the door sill. His day shift being replaced by business in the upper ring, he had started enjoying the long night shifts, especially when Gladio and Prompto were joined by Aranea to form a group of laughter and banter. Ignis was happy to see that Prompto had found a surrounding that pleased him, with people he got along well with. At least so it seemed, when Gladio and Prompto were exchanging knowing grins of unshared secrets that Ignis could not quite place.  
The glistening of the upper ring’s rooftops in the evening sun, high aspirations reaching for the sky, the warm light of the lanterns in the night and fallen leaves dancing in the cooling air over the paved streets. Ignis found himself daydreaming from time to time, eventually shaking those dreams off with a helpless smile. _How untypical_ , he used to think.  
But since when had it been that way? When had things started to look that vibrant and alive? Since...

“Ignis, are you with us?”

His head snapped up at Regis’ voice directed at him in a question he had missed.  
“B-beg you pardon?”

Regis huffed out a compassionate laugh.  
“You do look exhausted, Ignis. It might be wiser for you to take a break.”

“I am fine”, Ignis assured, readjusting his glasses. Regis was not that wrong though. The night shift had dragged on until morning and with preponing grocery shopping in order to arrive on time at the Caelum residence, Ignis had slept for about three hours last night. Nothing he would not be able to manage.

“I second Regis’ opinion”, Ravus agreed. “We cannot risk you collapsing when we need your assistance. You must have been lacking sleep the last days.”

“I, ah...”

“There is no need to push yourself, Ignis”, Regis strengthened his words with a hand on his arm.  
“Go and rest up. I am sure Noctis will join you as soon as he is free.”

This was not at all corresponding to Ignis’ work ethics but with a short sigh he stood and excused himself. He was not wishing for any kind of lecture from Ravus should he really collapse.  
But where to go? Ignis was not really keen on leaving the house behind, in case Noctis would be looking for him.

He ended up in Noctis’ atelier, just because it was on the same ground floor and it felt alright to stay there. Nobody to be bothering with his presence and vice versa. Besides, the room felt relaxing, much light coming in through the big windows.  
So this was where Noctis worked when he had a project running. Spacious, not much to look at besides what seemed to be sorted chaos scattered in the corners of the room.  
_An artist after all_ , Ignis chuckled to himself and silently strode over to the large pinboard on the left side wall.

Much of what was pinned there looked a lot like the drafts Noctis had been drawing when spending his time at the bar. Stylised swirls and letters, patterns and layouts on slightly crumbled paper, all put into groups that had something in common. At least he assumed they had, because Ignis could not quite make out that common thread. Some of them had splashes of colour on them, some where crossed out, others corrected, thick and bold lines over thinner, messier ones.  
There were more sketches, more detailed ones of flacons and vials in various shapes, ornaments and frescoes as crystalline corks. They had explanations in Noctis’ curved handwriting right next to it, adding in words what couldn’t be conveyed with the drawing.

It felt unreal to see that Noctis was actually a diligent worker. Ignis felt guilty the moment he had formed that thought. He snorted as he murmured an apology to himself. Nobody would have ever known, but he felt sort of obliged. A silly thought really.

As he let his eyes wander over the board he came to a halt at drawings that struck a familiar chord. Ignis remembered seeing those, when Noctis had asked him for advice and... oh.  
His eyes widened.

It felt similar to the time he had seen the big advertisement in town, his face on a big scale out for display, yet it was different. There was nothing like blatant embarrassment. The sketches Ignis was looking at just showed him, the way he was when he worked, candid and real. He could see that Noctis had taken extra care when drawing - the lines were very clean and set mindfully. Everything had sort of a domestic feeling about it. It gave rise to a warmth blossoming in Ignis’ chest, silently revealed by a soft smile that crinkled his eyes just a bit.

There were more of those, pinned over another and then mashed together with other reference pictures, revealing the whole process Noctis had gone through until drawing up the final version. Some of the papers conveyed how desperate he must have been at some point, probably close to the deadline, as Ignis assumed. In one corner he spotted the words ‘letter to Ignis, DON’T FORGET’.  
Seeing all of this made him regret having acted that harsh towards Noctis, when they had met after some time, even though he had been putting energy into this to his full exent.

Ignis gave a soundless chuckle and shook his head as he walked away from the board to sit down on the floor, right in front of the big windows.  
They were facing towards a small inner courtyard with plants and a little bench. Ignis was sure that there would have been flowers everywhere in there if the season had just been right. Now he was looking at softly desaturated greens and occasional whites of little flowers that only bloomed late in the year.  
He closed his eyes, and breathed deep, taking in the air from outside, that was flowing through one of the open window slots, foreboding a rainy evening. This mixed together with the faint scent of paint, probably stored somewhere in the room and even fainter notes of food that was being prepared in the kitchen. The banquet would come so soon, far sooner than he had imagined. Ignis had to admit that he was excited, at least a bit.

From somewhere else, probably the upper floor, a soft melody was echoing through the courtyard, bouncing off the walls and reaching Ignis’ ears. It was beautifully played, waves of sounds crescendoing and twirling, whispering fairy tales of solitude and longing. Ignis adored this kind of music. When the melody reached a highly complex part it broke off abruptly, making Ignis’ eyes fly open in surprise.  
It had been a beautiful melody until then.  
_Noct?_

Ignis was curious if it was Noctis himself playing this or if it was his instructor showing him the way of correctly playing parts of the piece. After convincing himself that it would do no harm to anyone if he looked for the room and that he was definitely not sneaking around, he left the atelier and carefully made for the upper floor.

Following the music made it easy to find the door of the room in question. The melody had stopped just at the same point as it had before and Ignis could make out Noctis getting into a fuss about something that involved slippery fingers and concentration.  
So it was really Noctis playing?

Ignis tried to bring his ear closer to the door to catch what he was talking about when the door suddenly clicked open. Apparently it had been ajar the whole time and he hadn’t noticed.  
_Oh dear me, why?_

“What is it?”, Noctis’ voice echoed from the inside.  
Ignis sighed and knocked once more, just to maintain the notion of manner before he pushed the door open hesitantly.  
“Specs?”, Noctis asked in surprise. “What are you doing here? I thought you were downstairs talking with the others?”

Ignis cleared his throat.  
“I have been yes, but I appeared to be... out of focus today, which is why your father advised me to take a break. I still have to talk to Mrs. Coctura as soon as they finish, but... I heard a melody coming from apparently this room. Frankly spoken, I was curious if it was actually you playing.”

It was then he registered the violin teacher, a young and beautiful woman with pitch black, straight hair sitting next to Noctis. He was irritated how her presence had gone absolutely unnoticed.

“My apologies for the intrusion”, he took a bow. “Ignis Scientia is my name.”

“What a pleasure to meet you, Ignis Scientia”, she inclined her head with a serene smile. “I heard the young master speak about your sweets. Gentiana is my name, I am his violin teacher. And yes, it was the young master playing just now. You never heard him play before, I reckon?”

“Ah, no Mistress. There has been no occasion until now.”

Gentiana made an inviting gesture towards one of the vacant seats on the side of the room.  
“What do you think about joining us then? I find the young master’s play to be rather soothing. What do you say?”

“Argh, Gentiana! I’m not ready to play in front of an audience yet”, Noctis whined. Ignis thought to have noticed a faint pink rising to his cheeks.

“Your actual performance is but a day away”, Gentiana smiled placidly. “I think you could use a little pressure.”

Noctis turned around to look at Ignis. The sheepishness in his face made Ignis snort. That was so different from the cheeky and bold Noctis he knew.  
“Don’t laugh”, Noctis spat, brows drawn together defiantly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare”, Ignis answered as he closed the door and made for the next chair.

“Well then young master, once again.”

Noctis pursed his lips and turned to Ignis once more.  
“That one passage, it’s just that my fingers don’t move fast enough, okay? I _can_ play. And I already played that one, right Gentiana?”

“Noct, there is no need to explain yourself”, Ignis chuckled. “If you preferred me to leave, then I－”

“No, please stay, Ignis Scientia”, the woman said, vibrant olive eyes directed at him. For some reason they sent chills down his spine. Then she smiled again.  
“I have the premonition that your presence will contribute to the young master’s success.”

Ignis eyes flickered over to Noctis again, who looked like he was drawing a nervous breath.

“Noct?”

The blue eyes darted over to him.

“I cannot play any sorts of instrument. I wish I could”, Ignis explained. “But what I heard from down there was pretty impressive. Just.. do not mind me and play freely. I will not judge you.”

Noctis took another breath, his eyes still connected with Ignis’.  
“Alright.”

And then he tucked the violin - a very beautiful instrument in blue varnish - between his jaw and shoulder, closed his eyes and began to play. As much as Ignis wanted to close his eyes to thoroughly listen to the swirling tune as he had before, he couldn’t help but watch.

Noctis played, fully immersed into the song, brows moving in soft expressions throughout the different passages, hinting at the emotions blooming behind those closed lids. He guided the bow with a gentle yet firm hand, sweeping it over the strings in an affectionate caress. The fingers of his left hand graciously danced over the violin’s neck, sliding up and down in smooth alteration. It was quite a spectacular thing to witness, Ignis thought.  
The violin started lamenting as the melody picked up its pace, swelling up to a flurry of sounds and movements. Noctis bit his lip, forcing the bow to keep moving, his fingers to keep dancing. Captured by the performance, Ignis caught himself holding his breath.  
And then, with one last sensual stroke of the bow, Noctis brought the performance to a close. He just stood there, breathing sharply for the next three seconds, holding the bow away from the violin before he slowly opened his eyes. They were sparkling, Ignis noticed as a wide smile broadened on Noctis’ face.

“I did it!”

Gentiana nodded, pleased by both the play and the spark of joy.

Noctis turned around to dart at Ignis, clumsily grabbing his hands as good as possible with both violin and bow in one his..  
“Specs, I did it! I played it!”

Right. There had been no cut, no unnatural stop. It was a perfect piece of art that Ignis had witnessed. The expression he was making right now was probably more than silly but he could not fight the deeply content and open smile that had his lips captive. Ignis retreated one of his hands to fondly squeeze Noctis’ shoulder.  
“That was simply wonderful, Noct.”  
He actually had to fight back tears. How could this performance have been so moving?

A tinkling chuckle of Noctis’ teacher made the two aware of their closeness, which resulted in a fast and awkward retreat from Noctis’ part.

Ignis snorted softly as he closed his eyes and tried to burn the pictures into his mind. Even though it would be probably more than embarrassing to admit but this moment right now was one of the most beautiful ones Ignis had ever witnessed. He was sure of it. Music is magic, as his uncle used to say. And there definitely had been some kind of magic present.

Gentiana applauded with soft claps.  
“It seems you are in fact as capable as you always claim to be.”

“What does that mean?”, Noctis laughed, playfully pointing the bow at her.

“Now, let us see if you can reproduce this. Once doesn’t count.”

“Hey!”

Ignis felt just blessed to be able to witness all of this once more.  
Or so he thought.

Noctis ended up playing through the piece several more times, some times better some times sloppier. But that magic effect did not happen again. The only words of comfort being that there still would be the last lesson next noon, Gentiana tried to encourage Noctis, who couldn’t seem to make out the reason why he hadn’t been able to get into the flow once more.

Even after they had escorted Gentiana to the exit, none of the young men brought up anything about that one peculiar and rather personal moment they had shared. That thought was fully scattered when the members of today’s last checkup meeting entered the hall.

“I will quickly go through the preparations with Mrs. Coctura”, Ignis said. “You don’t have to wait for me though. I think you have some preparations of your own to be done?”

Noctis lifted his eyebrows in reproach.  
“Really? I went at least back to the tram station all the times you’ve been here. Think this will change today?”

Ignis huffed out a laugh.  
”I should have guessed. Very well then.”

There shouldn’t have been much to be talked about. Both Ignis and Coctura had made sure to plan out everything neatly in advance so they could provide a reliable schedule for their contribution to the event. But going through that plan again and with Coctura’s added information from the meeting Ignis had dropped out of, things didn’t seem to go as planned.  
Ignis found himself scheduled to participate in the opening of the gala, with nothing important to do, Heavens beware but he had to make his appearance together with the protagonists of Lucis Scents. The poster face, as Coctura quoted what Dino had said. This though cut him short of time to prepare the pastries. Several hours as it seemed. He would also have to get prepared, having to look presentable then. He hadn’t planned to that extent.  
That also meant that he had to take care of the pastries early in the morning, which would result in having to borrow the kitchen at around eight, leaving him practically one hour of sleep after today’s night shift. Taking into account that he didn’t sleep much last night either, the whole affair appeared to become quite an ordeal.

Coctura showed herself to be terribly sorry but Ignis assured her that none of this was her fault and that he would find a way to make the new schedule work.  
The same thing he told Noctis, who asked for further information on the crease between his brows.

“Specs you’re working yourself to death”, Noctis stated bluntly. “That’s not going to work.”

Ignis sighed and sat down on the entrance stairs next to Noctis.  
“You don’t need to tell me, but I don’t have any other choice, do I? I have to be present throughout the evening and”, he shot a meaningful look over the rim of his glasses, “I know you would kill me if I don’t succeed in providing enough pastries and the way from mine to here takes its time as well.”  
He ran a hair through his fringe.  
“As a consequence I need to be here at around eight. Taking in account that my shift ends at five, there is not much to be done, I fear.”

Noctis blew a raspberry. Of course he wouldn’t know what to do either. No matter how you looked at it, it probably－  
“But I want you to enjoy yourself too, you know?”

Ignis looked at Noctis with big eyes, while Noctis was looking at something in the distance.

“I mean, it’s not like you always get to be at an event like this.”

“You mean, I quote, ‘that boring pit of social obligations’?”  
He threw a tired but still cunning smirk at Noctis, who rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I know I said that”, Noctis dragged out the words. “But I guess it could be fun. When you’re there I mean. I’ll have someone to talk to. A-and you too I mean!”

“Hmm...”

The two young men sat there for a few silent heartbeats more, when suddenly Noctis’ face lit up.  
“I got it! You just stay over night!”

Ignis looked at him in confusion.  
“Noct, I don’t quite understand.”

“It’s really easy! That way, you can get some sleep _and_ you’re here right in the morning, without any need to get here first.”

Ignis arched one brow.  
“Noct. I assume you are aware that I will miss my night shift then. I cannot possibly do that.”

“I’ll make sure to refund you. Or rather that dad will.”

“My customers are not informed that the bar will be closed tonight.”

“We have a phone here? So I could just... ask Prompto to pin a note to your front door, simple as that.”

“But... I didn’t bring anything?”

Noctis laughed.  
“Now that’s really the least problem. I’m sure we’ll find something for you. Okay, it’s settled then. I’ll give Prom a call and have things prepared then. No turning back!”

“Bu－ Wait! Noct!”

But Noctis didn’t wait.  
Surely it was not the worst outcome. In fact it was a really good one, minus the bad conscience nagging at the back of Ignis’ mind. But then again, who would be affected by the closing? Probably Gladio, yes but Ignis was sure that he would understand. Besides he wouldn’t want to encourage one of tomorrow’s main security staff members to drink through the night. They had to function after all.

“It’s settled, huh”, Ignis let out with a defeated laugh before he stood up and followed Noctis back into the house.

So he didn’t have a chance to decline in the first place. He would be spending a night at the residence of the Caelum family then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly enough, I wanted a violin play scene right from the beginning, when I had decided to write the story. I couldn't seem to fit it in anywhere until now there was the perfect opening for it. I hope the fascination I have when seeing people fully immersed in their musical performance, be it with an instrument or dancing came across, at least a tad of it.
> 
> For those interested, I finally (!!!) finished [charactersheets for the main cast](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/post/174227583566/his-pair-of-spare-glasses-thank-you) of this fic. Just to boost your imagination a bit. Check it out if you like ^^
> 
> And then, thank you for reading, as always!  
> It really means a lot to me that you are taking your time to take part in the world I made up. And as usual, I hope you are still enjoying it, even though it has been dragging a lot along the way.  
> I cannot express how much every kudo, every bookmark and every comment mean to me. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that you kept and keep me going with this. With putting everything in my mind on digital paper.
> 
> With a half crying eye, my muse has delivered me the end of this series while writing this chapter. If everything goes according to plan, there will be four chapters left until conclusion - _if_ I don't manage to fill in another event that "absolutely has to take place".  
>  I hope to have you with me until this journey comes to a close.
> 
> Again, thank you so much and see you next chapter!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Noctis is excited.

Talking to his father was an easy thing. This time he wouldn’t just be asking for a favour, Noctis even had rationally sensible reasons to ask for Regis’ okay to let Ignis stay over. But he didn’t even need to make use of those them. Regis agreed disappointingly quickly without even asking for a reason. Noctis felt robbed of an opportunity to win a verbal duel with his father but the outcome was in his favour, so he let it drop.  
Ignis would be staying, this was the important part.

Noctis came back to the living room, where Ignis was just finishing his phone call. He had insisted on making the call himself, to ensure everything was carried out in order. Or rather the way he wanted it to be.

”What’s wrong?”, Noctis asked as Ignis frowned in bewilderment after hanging up the receiver.

“Nothing, really”, Ignis answered, blinking fast under a furrowed brow. “Maybe the reception was not well but Prompto has practically repeated everything I told him. He was almost shouting at the other end. Next time we meet I will suggest him to get a check on the function of his ears.”

Noctis almost snorted but he held it back, pressing his lips into a hard line and eyes looking at everything but Ignis.  
Of course Prompto would. Noctis could basically hear the wide grin on his face and the ‘shouting’ was probably a real time report to Gladio, who must have been sitting behind him in the office.

_They’re totally giggling and gossiping now_ , Noctis thought as he tried not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

“Yeah, ears”, he responded as Ignis was eyeing him skeptically. “Guess he’s just a bit on edge at work, that’s all.”

“A hopeless fellow”, Ignis sighed in agreement.  
“Well then, I will be your guest tonight. I hope not to cause any inconveniences.”

Noctis lightly swatted Ignis’ arm.  
“Not at all. We should totally have enough food to get one more person through dinner and there is enough space to sleep. Could you just let me pay back for that time you let me stay over at yours, without any worries or apologies?”

“That sounds fair enough”, Ignis answered, the corners of his lips twisted upward into a wry smile. “I will try.”

Dinner was no problem at all, just as Noctis had predicted. He punched Ignis again as he started apologising to his father, who also assured him that everything was fine and that he valued all the work Ignis was doing for them.  
The next thing to be taken care of then was Ignis’ sleeping place. Noctis had thought it would be easy to find a bed for him but it turned out to be more complicated. In preparation of the banquet the guest rooms had been taken up by working staff such as waiters and drivers in order to immediately be at disposition when needed the following day. Some of the cooking staff would be working over night too, as Coctura explained to them apologetically.

Noctis hadn’t planned it that way but in the end, Ignis ended up in his own room, the sofa serving as bed. Ignis seemed to be concerned about Noctis’ privacy, though Noctis didn’t really mind sharing a room.

“What about you? Are you... okay with that? Or do you feel uncomfortable sharing a room with me?”, Noctis asked.

Ignis mockingly rolled his eyes to the side.  
“Honestly, I’d rather share a room with you than anyone else in this house. No need to worry, Noct. I am fine. I’ve been living together with other people in a shared flat, but I already told you I think? Co-workers to be precise. So it is nothing really. Although it’s a fact we never slept together back then.”

It took a few beats of silence until Noctis wasn’t able to hold back his cheeky comment any more.  
“But tonight, you’re sleeping with me, Specs”, he returned with a sly grin, masking his embarrassment. It was so lame.

Ignis didn’t seem to get it until he looked into a very suggestive face, half about to burst into laughter. His face went pink in a second.  
“Noooct, you know what I－”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry”, Noctis laughed. “But it was just to good to not hop on that train.”  
He probably wouldn’t have the courage to attempt anything into that direction anyways. It was all just talk, as he always was, all bark no bite.  
Even if Prompto and Gladio were convinced he should totally go for it, Noctis would definitely not want to lose him, just because of acting careless. Not until Noctis wasn’t sure he really had a chance.

“We have to work on your sense of humour”, Ignis remarked with flustered amusement. “Although I must say that my wording was not that well chosen either. Excuse me.”

“Just drop it, this is getting awkward”, Noctis wiped a tear from his eye.  
“Okay, let me get you stuff to change into. Ah, and I have my own bathroom, just through that door over there.”

Noctis dug out a simple pair of dark blue trousers and a black T-shirt and handed them over to Ignis. While his guest was taking a shower and changing into the borrowed clothes, Noctis changed too and dug up one of his clean sheets to drape over the sofa. Then a blanket and... where was that spare pillow?

By the time Ignis left the bath, Noctis had transformed the sofa into a comfy looking pile of blankets and switched his own usual sleeping position, head to foot end, so they could still be talking for a while.

“This looks like a sleepover as it is written in the books”, Ignis remarked with amusement, pointing at the sofa.

“Good, that was the intention”, Noctis grinned and flopped down onto his bed, belly first. “Time to rel－ Oh my god, Iggy!”  
He bursted out in laughter.

“I was dreading an outcome like that”, Ignis sheepishly shook his head with a smile and shrugged in defense.

When Noctis had thought about lending Ignis some of his clothing, he had totally forgotten the essential point that Ignis was taller than him, by quite a bit. He simply hadn’t thought of it. And now there he was, the trousers stopping at a weird height, the shirt too short and therefore exposing a line of Ignis’ belly and then several spots where the fabric simply was too tight around his body. It looked ridiculous.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t even－”

“Think about the fact that you are smaller than me? You honestly thought we had matching sizes even though my pyjamas looked ridiculously large on you? Where does that ego come from, I wonder?”, Ignis finished the sentence with a raised brow. There was a pillow thrown to his face just the next second.

“Hey! Don’t tease me about my height, I’m a perfect normal human!”

“Which makes me assume, I am not then?”, Ignis asked, the pillow in his hands.

“No, you’re not!”, Noctis grinned. “And you can’t convince me otherw－”  
Now it was Noctis’ turn to have the same pillow smacked right back into his face. Instead of dodging it, he embraced the flying ball of feathers and let himself fall back on his bed with it.

“I don’t know if I should like that sort of compliment”, Ignis huffed as he made himself comfortable on the couch, constantly tugging at some parts of his outfit that were definitely too tight.  
“Noct, those trousers are an instrument of torture. Pardon me but I will have to take it off after all.” 

Noctis was glad to still have the pillow on his face, or else his face might have illuminated the whole room. A short flash of that dream he had had appeared in front of his eyes but he squeezed them shut to chase it away. This was not what it was about now.

“Noct?” Ignis’ voice brought him back to reality again. “You can’t make me believe you have fallen asleep just like that.”

“I’m awaaake”, Noctis answered muffled, pulling the cushion to his chest and flopping back onto his belly to face Ignis, who gladly enough had already slipped under his blanket.  
“Although _you_ maybe should get some beauty sleep for tomorrow.”

“Is this supposed to be funny?”, Ignis sighed as he put down his frames onto the little coffee table.  
“Honestly, I’m not sure if I can get any sleep at all. There is so much to think about... The food, and then I need to find something appropriate to wear before heading to the event space... And yes, before you ask or try to make any other kind of oh-so-witty remark, I am, in fact, quite nervous.”

“Share something of your nervousness then, I’m not excited at all. I’m just glad you’re going to be there. Going on those parties without anyone you really... know? Like, people you care about talking to? That’s just boring. But you’re going to make it fun, I guess.”

“Oh, yes go ahead and put the pressure on me. Not that I would mind”, Ignis returned sarcastically. He lay down onto his back, eyes to the ceiling.

“Hey, I just wanted to cheer you up”, Noctis pouted and wriggled himself a bit closer to the end of his bed. “You mad at me?”

“I’m fine, thank you”, Ignis gave a low chuckle.

“Okay. I’ll switch off the lights then.”

“That would be kind.”

It was not quite the sleepover Noctis had envisioned, or so he thought as he switched off the light. He had expected long talks in the dark, sharing secrets and dreams, just the things he had dreamed of doing as a child. But he couldn’t blame Ignis. And he shouldn’t complain, really. They weren’t ten-year-olds after all.

Noctis let himself fall to the side, hands buried on both sides of his pillow. Behind him he could hear Ignis occasionally shifting under his sheets. Just as sleep had begin to gently tug at Noctis’ eyelids, Ignis’ voice, low and whispery rose into the dark.

“Noct? Are you sleeping yet?”

Noctis turned around.  
“No. What is it?”

Ignis seemed to be staring at the ceiling again.  
“Say, is there anything that could go wrong tomorrow? Do I have to pay attention to something specific in order not to ruin anything?”

Noctis laughed silently.  
“Oh Specs, there is really nothing to worry about. See that you get the pastries done in time, and the rest will work out just fine, you’ll see. I probably won’t be leaving your side anyways, so everything’s cool.”

“It’s good to hear.”

And then the room fell silent again.  
After what seemed like a pretty short time, Noctis could hear even breaths coming from the couch. So he had fallen asleep after all.

Noctis tried to catch a glimpse of the silhouette in monochrome. Ignis looked peaceful, the crease that happened to show up between his eyebrows was gone. He looked remarkably younger and softer too without his glasses on his nose. If he wasn’t feeling tired himself, Noctis would probably have tried to sketch that moment down, but at late hour and basically no light that was not an option.

He reached out with one hand to swipe away some strands of hair from Ignis’ face, when he stirred. Hastily Noctis pulled back his hand, his heart jumping in his chest.

“Is... something the matter...?”, Ignis muttered half asleep.

“N-no, I’m sorry. Everything’s good”, Noctis answered promptly. Gladly enough Ignis drifted back to sleep without asking any more questions.  
“Sleep well, Ignis”, Noctis whispered before he turned around again and slipped into peaceful dreams with a smile.

 

The next morning Noctis woke with an immediate slam of his hand onto the alarm. He was sure that it was way too early to be doing anything. As he was about to doze off into some sort of snooze state, he was startled by a low chuckle.  
He spun around in his sheets, jerked up to seated and brutally cracked open both of his eyes. Noctis hated that burning and itching sensation but that voice had totally caught him off guard. With hasty blinking he squinted into his room that was lit by the first morning rays peeking in.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. You really are not an early bird”, Ignis stated amused.

Right, Ignis was here. Oh.  
Noctis quickly patted his cheeks and ran his hands through what he knew had to be a terrible bedhead.  
“Morning...”, he rasped as he stretched his back with a yawn. “Aaah, I hate mornings.”

“Now, don’t be that way”, Ignis reprimanded him. “I am sure there is going to be something nice waiting for breakfast.”

“You think so?”  
Noctis finally had gained full vision - only to see Ignis standing in the middle of the room, calmly buttoning his shirt. In his boxers and... sock garters.  
If he hadn’t been awake before, he was now.

“Something the matter?”, Ignis asked self-conscious as Noctis couldn’t take his eyes off the other’s legs.

”Ah, no! No, I... I didn’t think you’d be wearing sock garters”, Noctis answered flustered. “I don’t know it’s... Not like it’s looking weird or something! But... huh, it’s kinda unexpected.”

“Come on now, it’s nothing special”, Ignis put him off.

“Yes. No! I just－ argh, it’s too early for this...”, Noctis muttered, hiding his face in his hands. “I can’t talk in the morning, sorry. Never mind.”  
He flopped back onto the bed, covering his eyes with his arms and listening to the sound of fabric sliding up against skin and the belt buckle click in place. This was not the right time to think about anything like that.  
He couldn’t fight the sheepish grin lurking on his lips. That had been a sight to get giddy about and he didn’t regret getting a peek of it. It was better and more exciting than any dream.  
Unsettling somehow, well, yeah, but he would get over it eventually. Maybe.

“Well then”, Ignis addressed Noctis as he had finished rolling up his sleeves, “I will be downstairs in the kitchen preparing everything for later. In case you are looking for me, that is. I hope we can stick to the plan.”

“Got it”, Noctis waved one hand in the air. “I’ll come and get you later then.”

“But Noct, about the clothing, I－”

Noctis swung up to seated again, a cunning smirk on his face.  
“That you leave to me. I’ll take care of that.”

Ignis sighed.  
“I just hope this is not ending like the pyjamas. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

“Do you think I would let you?”, Noctis snorted. “You’re one of the representative figures tonight. Embarrassing you is not an option. You’d be embarrassing the company too. Don’t worry I got this.”

“Aah, don’t remind me”, Ignis gave another sigh before he made for the door.

“Later then!”, Noctis called after him and was rewarded with a tight lipped and slightly unsure nod.

Legs dangling from the bed, Noctis closed his eyes for a moment and took in several calm breaths.  
_Let’s get the bothersome stuff over with and see if we can have fun tonight._  
Feeling boosted, Noctis swung himself up to standing and made for the bathroom.

Once dressed - the casual stuff; the fancy one was for later - Noctis went by the kitchen to grab some breakfast. There was a lot going on everywhere and in the small crowd of kitchen staff he could make out Ignis giving instructions and working on his own tasks. He wanted to call out and wave at him, but Ignis’ eyes found him before he could. A quick nod and a focused smile made his yelling unneeded.  
Ignis was doing alright. Noctis could see that he was basically in his element - focused but not stressed out. He looked like he had everything under control.

_Nice, Specs._  
Noctis left the kitchen with a muffin and milk in his hands and a proud feeling in his chest.

When he had finished, Maylin once again reminded him of his tasks and schedule for today, before she continued hurrying around with the staff for further preparations. Loading the decoration into the automobiles, as she hastily spluttered before whirling away.

The Violin rehearsal went better than expected yet worse than Noctis had hoped for. Skill-wise, he managed to play through the piece most of the time. There were sloppy mistakes at one or another point but all in all he would be able to play without greater failure - an improvement to what he had managed the day before.  
But Noctis felt something to be off. Even if he played it right, he wasn’t as satisfied when he had navigated through the composition as he had been when he had for the first time in weeks, that same day before. Like a piece of soul was missing to the music. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it.  
Gentiana only showed her never fading smile, assuring that when the moment comes, Noctis would feel it again. There was nothing left for him but to believe in what she said. He hoped she was right.

He then met up with Maylin again, who helped him dress for the evening. An outfit of blacks and blues, just as the company image would want it. An ascot tie in Sylleblossom blue, black floral ornaments on a midnight blue brocade vest over a plain dark shirt, topped off by a black frock coat with a Sylleblossom brooch on its lapel. The pants were a dark onyx and the tips of his shoes of patent-leather, glistening in colours of the night sky.  
_I’m basically screaming the name of our brand_ , Noctis thought sarcastically but looking into the mirror it was only half as bad.

Fully clad and - more important - with set hair, Noctis eventually knocked at the kitchen door, before he stepped in.

“Specs?”

The sand brown tuft of hair jerked up to reveal Ignis’ concentrated face. It lit up in surprise as he spotted where the voice was coming from.

“You ready?”, Noctis asked with a smug grin, holding out an inviting hand.

“Noct. Oh... you look stunning, if I may say so.”

Ignis in contrast looked pretty rad with some of his hair standing up in a weird angle and the flour on parts of his hands and face. Noctis was about to giggle but he decided it would be better not to. He had teased him enough for today.  
For now.

“Thanks”, he answered instead.  
“Now then, let’s get yourself a glam up too.”  
Noctis couldn’t stop himself to at least point at his own cheek to signalise Ignis he would have to wash his face, which he immediately did under a mumbling swear.

“Where are we going now?”  
Ignis was careful to not touch anything of the clothing Noctis was wearing. Not to stain it, probably.

“I had Dino bring over some stuff”, Noctis explained as he guided Ignis up the stairs. “He should be about as tall as you or at least of similar built. He’ll help try to find what works best for you. Hey Dino!”

Noctis waved at the man with the silver hair, who was impatiently tapping one foot on the ground.

“You’re late, Prince Noctis! You should now best that art takes its time!”

“I told you to stop that”, Noctis rolled his eyes but he wasn’t really miffed. Not this time.  
“Besides, you have the best canvas to work with. Should speed up the process.”  
He pulled on Ignis’ arm and dragged him towards Dino.

“Work your magic.”

“Leave it to me”, Dino winked at Noctis as he guided Ignis into one of the rooms. The young man had just enough time to turn around once more, nervousness written all over his face.  
Noctis returned a thumbs up and an encouraging wink from his part and succeeded to bring at least a hesitant smile onto Ignis’ lips.

And then Noctis waited. It was his turn to relax and replenish some of the energy he would need later. Biscuits and a cup of lemon tea. Not what he usually prefers, but he doesn’t really care right now. As long as it was sweet, it was good. Anything to pass time, really.  
Noctis was not impatient. He could focus for a long time over the same sketch without noticing the time flying by. He wished the waiting time would fly by as fast.

After what seemed like an eternity, Noctis was brought back to life by a knocking on the door. Dino didn’t even wait for an answer to open it.

“Nu-uh, you wait here, just a sec, okay?”, Dino said with an audible grin.

“What’s that about?”, Noctis asked as he stretched his neck to see past Dino who quickly leaned the door close. He couldn’t spot anything.

“Are you sure you’re ready, Noctis?”, Dino snickered. “Maybe you should sit down. I don’t mean to brag, but I think I did a stunning job on him. Should call him Mr. Spectacular, not Specs.”

“Argh, Dino come on! You know we don’t have the time for that. We’re going to be late.”

“Says the one who let an artist waiting? Payback time.” Dino shot a fingergun at Noctis, who was fiercely drilling his eyes into the older man’s skull.  
“Okay, okay”, he held up his hands in defense before letting one of them drop to the doorknob. “Let me present to you today’s masterpiece then.”

As much as Noctis found Dino’s big mouth and attitude more than just annoying he hadn’t promised too much. He felt his face drop at the sight of Ignis. He looked differently, he _moved_ differently. He looked like he was in full control, the fabric submissively flowing around his body and creating a gorgeous silhouette.  
The purple silken high neck shirt had a subtle paisley pattern embroidered that sparkled in different hues with every move. The grey vest and the black blazer helped tone that flamboyant shirt down, making it look fashionable and elegant. Some pearls were stitched onto the one shoulder part of the blazer, whose lapels were being held together by a delicate golden chain. Grey trousers and grey-purplish leather shoes made the outfit complete. Of course they had kept Ignis’ frames, but his _hair_. Noctis was sure he had never really seen Ignis’ forehead before. Now, his fringe was brushed up and styled in a sleek side sweep. The only thing mismatching was the self-conscious and sheepish look on his face. But then again this worked so well.

Noctis could practically feel the corners of his mouth being glued to his earlobes, his eyes wide as globes. So be it then.

Ignis had his lips pressed into a thin line and was sheepishly scratching his cheek.  
“Maybe this is a bit over the top after all.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”, Dino laughed.

Noctis approached Ignis slowly, as if he was a wild deer, bolting at every movement that was too sudden. He sandwiched his arms with his hands, eyes still wide open, the same (probably dumb) grin on his face.  
“You. Will floor. The whole party.”

“I-is this a good thing, I wonder...?”

Noctis nodded vividly.  
“Gosh Specs, you look _fabulous_! You definitely won’t have to hide anywhere. Damn!”

“I am not sure if I am worth all that swearing”, Ignis laughed weakly, finally connecting his eyes with Noctis.

“I swear when I want to”, Noctis laughed. “And damn, I won’t let anybody near you, count on me. At least nobody who’d make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Much appreciated.”

It was such a refreshing thing to see Ignis that bashful and shy. Maybe because of the contrast to what his usual self was like, confident and cunning versus modest and sheepish. Noctis found it to be hilarious.

“Let’s head out then”, Noctis grinned in excitement, pulling Ignis along with their arms hooked up. “Thanks again, Dino. I owe you one.”

“I won’t forget that, Noctis!”, Dino warned and waved as the two young men made their way for the exit.

“Ah, wait”, Noctis stopped as he was about to step out of the door. He pulled a little vial out of his vest pocket and turned around.  
“You’re already looking pretty perfect, but there’s one thing missing.”

With a wry smile he poured some of the liquid from the vial onto the tips of his fingers. The he had to stretch a bit to reach behind Ignis’ ears, where he ran his fingers along the little curve of his jawbone down a little part of the neck. He repeated this procedure on the other side.

“Good to go”, Noctis stated satisfied and patted the taller man on his shoulder before he turned again to step out of the door.

Outside, a black, sleek automobile was already waiting for the two to arrive.  
“There you are. We’ve been waiting for you”, Regis greeted them. He hummed appreciative as he saw the two coming towards him.  
“Now look at you two. I’m accompanied by two fine young men tonight. I must say I am a bit proud. Ignis, you look stunning in that combination”, Regis said, shooting his still grinning son a curious look.

“Dino”, Noctis answered with an ok-sign.

”I see”, Regis chuckled. “Well then, let’s get in there and the evening started. Noctis, I trust you to look after Ignis through the evening. You know how it is, I will probably have to be all over the place, to get the necessary small talk done, but maybe the two of you can spend an enjoyable evening.”

“Leave it to me, dad.”

Ignis was being very quiet, throughout the drive as well. Noctis could see him clasping his hand between his knees.

”Ignis, you alright?”

The taller man’s head snapped up into his direction.  
”Y-yes, I’m fine.”

Noctis let out a compassionate sigh.  
“Come on, relax, you have got nothing to worry about. You should probably know that there is going to be a flashlight storm waiting for us, but that’s going to be over real quick, just from the car into the building. The newspapers want pictures after all.”

“Honestly, Noct, I don’t know if it was right for me to come along to this highly official－”

“Hey.”  
Noctis put a firm hand onto Ignis’ shoulder.  
“You’d have been there either way, remember? Only now, you get to wear fancy stuff instead of a usual smoking like the staff does. And you’re looking _great_. Where is your self-confidence?”, he laughed.

“I tend to be self-confident in fields I am familiar with”, Ignis stated, tilting his head, “but I am not that sure when I don’t know anything about the surroundings.”

“You will be just fine Ignis”, Regis joined the conversation from the front passenger seat. “You don’t even have to talk if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah”, Noctis agreed.  
“See it as a kind of... theatre play, maybe? Just step into a different role, I’m sure you can. Switch the setting in your head and you should be good to go! I mean, you were your competent self in the kitchen earlier, why not try to keep that in mind?”

“Playing a part, you mean?”

“Yeah. Honestly, it’s what we all do”, Noctis rolled his eyes.

Something in the expression on Ignis’ face shifted and he nodded encouragingly. More to himself than to Noctis really, but it was a good sign.  
“I think I can do that. I will try to.”

“Just have fun being someone else for once”, Noctis grinned. “Go with the flow.”

Noctis couldn’t bear to see Ignis thinking hard, as the crease between his brows and his tight lips suggested. He sighed and stretched out his open hand.  
“Lend me your hand, Iggy?”  
He took the hand he was offered in bewilderment and started kneading around the wrist.  
“Gentiana once told me this helps against restlessness. Might as well try, huh?”

When the automobile held in front of the event space, Noctis let go of Ignis’ wrist.  
“You’ll be okay?”

The focused nod he was answered with made Noctis almost laugh again. That was way too stiff now, but maybe things would get in balance once the whole thing was running smoothly.

“Then let’s get the show on the road.”

As predicted, the mass of photographers and reporters had been in place and probably waited for hours to get some shots. As usual, only few were allowed to join the events on the inside for pictures. The ones who were sure to not disturb the guests too much.

Noctis waited a moment to wave into the bright shield of light, not really able to see the people behind the photographomats.

“Impressive”, he heard Ignis murmur next to him.  
Noctis peeked to the side, only to see that Ignis was totally acing his pokerface. He gave off the perfect air of a cold and haughty beauty and Noctis would totally have fallen for that if he hadn’t known what had been hidden underneath that mask only moments ago.

On their way to the entrance one of the reporters managed to get Ignis’ attention and started to talk insistently. About his name, where he was from, which agency he was signed under, how he got involved with Lucis Scents.  
Noctis saw the silent cry for help in his green eyes that had flashed over to him.  
He swiftly slid between Ignis and the reporter with a calculative smile.

“I am sorry but the management has prohibited interviews of any sort with our model tonight.”  
And without leaving a chance for further questioning, he pulled Ignis away with him, farther and farther towards the entrance.

“You okay?”, Noctis whispered.

“I wouldn’t have thought you could act that professional”, Ignis answered, probably trying to unpack the wits he had locked behind his nervousness.

”Hey, you could really give me a little more credit”, Noctis shot back with a soft nudge into Ignis’ ribcage. But if he was getting back his sharp tongue, things were running into a positive direction.

Finally arrived at the small staircase to the entrance of the building, Gladio, Prompto and the white haired officer - Aranea? - were officially greeting them as people in charge of their security with a salute.  
Noctis didn’t miss Prompto’s face almost falling to the floor and even Gladio being a little more than wide-eyed at the sight of Ignis. It was more than obvious that Prompto was trying very hard to hold back his reaction, excited red blotches appearing under his freckles and an expression on his face Aranea and Gladio would probably make fun of for the rest of his life. Aranea looked impressed but still kept her cool.

Noctis spotted Prompto waving a quick thumbs up into their direction and Ignis returning it with a composed nod.  
It was probably the best entry into an official event Noctis had ever experienced.

Once shielded from the outside, they were guided to something that looked like a little pedestal and Dino gathered the guests around them.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much for accepting our invitation to join us tonight. Lucis Scents is giving you the most warm welcome and we hope that we can make you spend an enjoyable evening with us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd the festivities begin! In case you didn't see yet, the outfits our two are wearing can be found [right here on my tumblr](https://his-pair-of-spare-glasses.tumblr.com/post/174227583566/his-pair-of-spare-glasses-thank-you).
> 
> Just as a sneak peek behind the scenes: In the original story, or, well let's call it the first storyboard draft, Regis was supposed to meet Ignis only now, right at the entrance to the banquet. But somehow Noctis sped up the process in the end.  
> More behind the scenes follow in the note after the last chapter.
> 
> The next two chapters will come without comment, just so you are prepared :)
> 
> Nevertheless, I always enjoy reading your reactions and thoughts on this. Thank you so much!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ignis does a lot of things at the Lucis gala.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most adventurous moments Ignis had ever experienced. He was never being a person in the spotlight and he thought that this might as well be the last time he was. It was stressing. How was Noctis able to live through this on a regular basis?

Ignis peeked at the young man beside him, who was a picture of composure and professionality through both Dino’s and his father’s opening speech. And knowing Noctis, this must have been the result of practise and much effort.  
 _No wonder he was glad to get some privacy outside of all this._  
Once more, everything made sense.

Ignis let his gaze trail off the smaller figure and over the surroundings. There were many people assembled in what looked like a small palace. He thought he had even spotted high rank politicians and other people he only knew from the newspapers.  
The big hall was divided into two parts, one to be standing, chatting or having both food or beverages from the bar, the other part probably serving as some kind of dance floor, as the seated musicians were suggesting. There was a smaller room where people could apparently smoke and the gallery above was designed to be the place for an exhibition of the lastest flask designs and other products and projects the Lucis company was currently working on. Ignis wondered for a moment if some of the vials he had seen as sketch in Noctis’ atelier were part of the exhibition too.  
In the back, big windows paved the way to a little garden with a fountain and, since the building was set on a hill, a night view on the city of Insomnia.

_A breathtaking and truly luxurious place_ , Ignis thought in awe, as he tried to estimate how many crystals must have been necessary to make one of the many chandeliers that were dangling from the ceiling.  
He was glad that he had really calmed down a bit since they arrived. The wrist massage was worth keeping in mind for such situations. Or maybe it was the soothing scent of the Sylleblossom essence that Noctis had put on him earlier.

Regis had moved on to presenting the plans and projects that the company was up to in a rough, introducing the Nox Fleuret siblings, who stepped into better view and joined them on the pedestal.  
First, Ravus started explaining the medical aspects the collaboration work would involve, not really caring to sound appealing, as it seemed.  
When it was Lady Lunafreya’s turn to talk about therapy and practical use of the products they would be working on together, Ignis was surprised to witness her as a strong but very mindful woman with a bright and broad mind. Nothing like what her brother conveyed to be, she appeared to be very kind and gentle. It both relieved him and at the same time made his heart grow heavy.

_Noct’s fiancée..._

Ignis could quite visually imagine her to be a wonderful bride. He wondered if Noctis hadn’t overreacted when he had learnt of their engagement. Or rather that his father and Ravus had been talking about plans of such. And nothing was set yet, just as Regis had told him. Or was it?

“You’re spacing out”, the voice of Noctis suddenly whispered into his ear, making him almost jump.

“Apologies”, he murmured at Noctis’ mischievous look.  
This was not the time for thinking.

Noctis was the last to speak, most of his speech being about design affairs. He quickly explained the exhibition held in the gallery above before shifting to the presentation of their newest product line. This also involved a quick reference to Ignis, who bowed in a greeting. As a matter of prudence, Noctis had introduced him as ‘Stupeo’, wherever that name came from, but Ignis appreciated this measure.

“Wouldn’t want you to be chased after the press in the course of time, right?”, Noctis said to him after he was done with his speech.  
“That way, even if you would be recognised anywhere you could just play the twin-brother card or something. No need to thank me”, the black-haired boy grinned.

“I fully trusted in your immaculate sense of foresight”, Ignis shot back cunningly.

“Yeah, that’s the way, Specs.”

As the applause had faded and Dino had added something insignificant to what had already been said (it was mostly about himself), it was Noctis’ turn to close the opening ceremony with his violin recital, for which everyone turned to the musical part of the hall.

Noctis swiftly strode to what seemed to be the middle of an ornament on the floor, violin and bow in his hands. He turned around with a quick swirl, eyes closed in concentration. With slow and thoughtful movements he brought the violin to his jawbone and let the bow hover over the strings.

Ignis could see him open his eyes in slow motion, a pair of blue gems fixed on him. Ignis squinted just the slightest bit.  
 _Don’t worry, Noct, I know you will do just fine. Now,_ focus.

Then, Noctis drew in a sharp breath and started playing.  
The piece started slowly so there was little chance to mess anything up but Ignis felt his shoulders tense. He wanted this to be a success, he knew Noctis could play it. Most of all he wanted to see that easy and proud smile again.

And then the surroundings started to vanish, bit by bit until there was nothing more left than him and Noctis playing the swelling melody some steps away. There it was again, emotions flashing over Noctis’ face, accentuating and aggravating the rougher and softening the gentler parts. There was nothing but melody, captivating and entangling sounds mixing together in harmony. It felt like an eternal moment for just a second.

The applause set in and the moment was over. Noct took a bow, declared the buffet to be opened and the guests started to scatter. He handed over the violin to one of the staff members before he joined Ignis again.

“My hand slipped four times”, he sighed, regretfully scratching the back of his head. “Guess I always mess things up when it comes to the point.”

“It was perfect”, Ignis assured him. It was not. He did notice the little slip-ups in between, but it was just enough for this kind of setting. The good thing was that he could keep the perfect version of the piece for himself then.

“I’m starving to death. Let’s grab something to eat before the good stuff is gone.”

Ignis followed not to be left behind but he still caught the muted smile that turned away and scurried towards the neatly aligned food.

“Not quite the balanced diet, if I may say so”, Ignis remarked as he pointed at the mixture of skewers and pastries on Noctis’ plate.

“I tell you, those are the best”, Noctis picked up one of the skewers. “They’re always gone already when I get the chance to eat. And your pastries? Come on, I’d never want to miss out on that. Dunno how I lived without them until now.”

“Ever exaggerating, are we?”, Ignis smirked and went for the buffet himself. The arrangement had turned out lovely and, yes, he allowed himself to be a little proud.

“Oh, young master Caelum!”  
A couple, of which Ignis recognised one to be the Prime Minister of the Accordo Islands had approached Noctis as he came back with his own plate of food.  
Assuming them to actually be bright people with a lot of knowledge and interesting things to talk about, Ignis could see why Noctis wasn’t that fond of events like this. The small talk was simply terrible. Just when an uncomfortable silence was about to spread, Ignis himself actively joined the conversation - leading through small talk was something he was more than used to.   
He noticed the grateful nudge Noctis gave him in secret while he was talking about seasonal exclusive specialties from all around Eos.

Eventually Noctis managed to maneuver themselves away.  
“Man, I really hate this kind of stuff”, he groaned. He brushed some crumbs away from his jacket.

“Oh, I wouldn’t have guessed”, Ignis shot back, gratefully handing his emptied plate to one of the waiters.  
On the opposite side of the hall, Ignis could spot Ravus and Lady Lunafreya sitting at a table with other noble looking guests.  
“Your, ah... possible bride-to-be certainly seems skilled in talking though. Why don’t ask her to lend you a hand or teach you about the arts of conversation.”

“Please don’t remind me...”  
Noctis scowled before he looked at his feet.  
“I haven’t really spoken to her since... I think since I knew this might turn out to be a thing, I guess?”

“You haven’t－ What? How?”

“I basically avoided all meetings where I could have run into her?”  
Noctis shrugged.

“This is a severe issue, Noct, you need to discuss this.”  
Ignis couldn’t believe Noctis had been running from it. In terms of manners that was. Not that he personally minded. The way Noctis had reacted to this news had revealed how reluctant he was about this idea and Ignis wouldn’t try to talk him into something Noctis didn’t want. But not talking about it with the woman in question was not an option.

“I can’t just walk up to her and start talking about this out of the blue”, Noctis gestured around. “Like, ‘oh hey, I know I have been avoiding you, sorry for that but about that marriage thing...’?”

Ignis rolled his eyes.  
“No, you can’t. Or perhaps you can but you rather shouldn’t. But what about getting a base to talk about this subject later on, another day even? You need to stop avoiding her, Noct.”

“And how am I supposed to do this?”

“How about you ask her for a dance?”

“A dance?!”  
Noctis made a face that conveyed some sort of disgusted discomfort.  
“Sorry Ignis. No way. Uh-uh.”

Ignis raised his brows at this reaction.  
“You seem quite averse to dancing. How come?”

Noctis pressed his lips into a thin line.  
“I... Argh, I can’t dance, okay?”

“You cannot _dance_.”  
This was a rather shocking revelation. Ignis would have never thought.  
“How did you make it through social events until now? It’s almost basic knowledge.”

“Look, I _tried_ , okay?”, Noctis explained.  
“But every time, I ended up stepping on my teacher’s shoes, dress, didn’t get the posture right, and so on. Honestly, I suck at dancing.”

Ignis noticed Lady Lunafreya secretly peeking over to them while Ravus and the other men seemed to get excited about some topic that couldn’t reach their ears.  
He looked at Noctis who was vividly shaking his head with pursed lips.

“Very well then.”  
Ignis adjusted his blazer and pushed up his glasses.  
“Let me tell you that it is rude to not ask a woman for a dance. But this is something to remember for future occasions then. I assume you are not displeased if I take that part for now?”

“You－ you’re going to dance with Luna?”

“Somebody has to, if you don’t.”

“Fine...”, Noctis muttered.  
“But don’t say anything unnecessary.”

Ignis sighed.  
“I hoped you to have more faith in me, to be honest.”

“Yeah, I know... sorry.”

“Never mind.”  
Ignis took a deep breath.  
“Well, I will be right back. If Ravus does not lynch me for dancing with his precious sister that is.”  
Noctis only hummed in response.

_A radiant picture of self confidence_ , Ignis thought as he made his way over to where Lady Lunafreya was looking at him curiously. He felt the nervousness bubbling up again but he tried to push it away as far as possible.

He bowed before he addressed the group.  
“Pardon my intrusion, but I wondered if Lady Lunafreya was free to have a dance.”  
Ignis glanced at Ravus who was definitely scrutinising him. He wondered if the man was capable of any other expression than a tight-lipped scowl.

“With pleasure”, Lunafreya returned and rose from the opulent chair, her ruffled, layered dress softly rustling at the movement.

“If you permit me then.”  
Ignis offered his hand to guide Lunafreya towards the dancing space. Her hand was delicate and light, almost fragile.

“You are a friend of Noctis’”, she said.  
“The one he was having so much trouble painting.”

Ignis cleared his throat.  
“It very much looks like it, yes.”

Lunafreya chuckled.  
“Then you must be the same friend that made those delicious pastries.”

“Y-yes, I suppose?”

“They taste exactly like the ones I know from home. Noctis once brought me one after he had praised them so much. We talked about having to invite you to the banquet. He also told me that you are from Tenebrae as well.”  
Lunafreya smiled.  
“I am glad you came. I very much wanted to meet you.”

That bit of information was new to him and Ignis couldn’t hide the surprise.  
“That is correct. I am flattered to see you knowing quite a lot about me”, he said as he placed one hand on her lower back, the other one supporting her arm.

“Noctis has been talking a lot about you. Stupeo, was it?”  
She placed her hand between Ignis’ shoulder blades.

Ignis chuckled.  
“I’m afraid to disappoint you but that is not what I am called under normal circumstances. My name is Ignis.”

Lunafreya’s eyes rounded with curiosity before falling back into a gentle smile.  
“It is a pleasure to meet you then, Ignis.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

The music started playing and they began moving over the dance floor with graceful and well paced steps. In a spin, Ignis could make out Noctis, slouched against a pillar in the shadows, probably looking at them.

“So, how is Noctis doing lately?”, Lunafreya asked.  
“We happen to often miss each other. I hope he is not avoiding me for... some reason.”

Ah, how right she was.  
“I don’t think he is avoiding you, Milady”, Ignis answered, gently spinning her around.  
“I never heard him speak ill of you, on the contrary. It is just that Noct has been... thinking a lot on his behalf.”

“We are alike then”, she mused. “I have been thinking a lot too.”

“Are you troubled by anything? If it is not improper to ask you about it, you could tell me if you liked. Not a word of it to Noct about all of this, of course.”

Two steps to the front, one step backwards.  
“Oh, what troubles me has nothing to do with Noctis in person. Not exactly. It is... a bit more complex.”

Ignis could see a spark of sadness in her eyes as he made her turn once more.  
“Apologies, I did not mean to intrude.”

“Oh, but you didn’t.”

Ignis took a breath. He would jump right to the subject after all. It gave him a weird feeling in his stomach.  
“On a... happier note, I heard that there are rumours of a wedding?”

Lunafreya laughed weakly.  
“Some people do call it a happy turn of things, yes. I too was told so by my brother. It was quite a sudden revelation to me as well. But it is impressive how fast rumours spread, isn’t it? I do not know what to make of it. Or how much I am bothering Noctis with this.”

One step to the front, three steps back.  
Ignis swallowed.  
“If... you allow me to speak in favour of Noct, I can assure you that he is a very kind person. He might not look it but he is. In fact, he is giving much thought about the wellbeing of the people surrounding him but has a tendency to overthink. He has some quirks, alright, but nothing unmanageable I daresay. Apart from his aversion towards vegetables I fear”, he sighed.  
This made her laugh.

Two steps to the side, one to the front.  
“Aside from occasionally acting a little spoiled , I am quite sure he would be a loving husband. He is putting a lot of pressure on himself on that matter though.”

“There is no need to get defensive”, Lunafreya smiled.  
“I have been getting along quite well with Noctis. He seems to be a really charming young man.”

Ignis chuckled.  
“Oh, I can assure you he is.”

“You do speak very fondly of him, Ignis”, she remarked amused and Ignis could feel a faint trail of heat flare up under his cheeks.  
“It is a relief to know that Noctis has the care and affection of the close ones surrounding him. It is a good thing to see him happy. Maybe I was the one avoiding him after all.”

A spin, two steps forward.  
Noctis had told him not to say anything unnecessary, but what bad could there be in an advice?  
“Lady Lunafreya, I am not one to have an oar in everyone’s boat, but I have the feeling that a conversation between you and Noct is overdue. You seem to think about each other in... one way or another but it seems that unspoken matters trouble you both. Knowing Noct as a very reliable man, I am sure he would not mind listening, if you listen to him in return that is. I only fear him to be too shy to actually address the matter - a character trait he has to work on, if you ask me. I honestly wish he spoke his mind more freely so it would free you of the task to address him. Should you decide to do so though, please bear in mind that Noct will probably go very defensive if he feels being accused. You might want to think about your choice of words and－”  
Ignis stopped abruptly, seeing Lunafreya look at him in bewildered amusement.  
“Oh, I－ I have been talking too much. I had no intention in lecturing you Milady. Please accept my apologies.”

One closing step and the dance ended.  
“Noctis is very lucky to have you by his side, Ignis”, Lunafreya smiled as she curtsied to him.

“I am but a friend with too much concern”, Ignis returned with a bow.

“I wonder...”

Ignis took Lunafreya’s hand again and walked her back to the group he had previously taken her away from.  
“Will we meet again?”, Ignis asked her on the short way.

“We might”, Lunafreya answered.  
“Though my brother and I must return to Tenebrae not far from now.”

“Maybe there then.”

Ignis greeted the little group around Ravus before he took his leave. Walking through the hall and occasionally inclining his head towards the guests that were greeting him, he was searching for Noctis. He had vanished from where Ignis had seen him standing last.

While he was looking around for the black tuft of hair, Ignis thought about Lunafreya. He couldn’t really make out a reason, why Noctis would be so reluctant to marry that charming woman. He said he didn’t love her, yes, but there were marriages relying on trust and care. Both of them, him and her were trustworthy people, and as Ignis got to know through the conversation with Lady Lunafreya, caring a lot. They just had to live together for a while to see that it would be a good fit, he could almost picture it.

Ignis picked up some scraps of conversation between the guests, who were talking about Noctis most probably leaving together with his bride-to-be. Everyone seemed to support an engagement. Ignis wasn’t sure if he did. He probably would be happy for Noctis if he was but he didn’t miss the stinging notion that was carefully working its way to his heart. 

_I am most definitely overthinking things._

More important than that: where was Noctis?  
He was nowhere to be found, not at the bar, not with the musicians, neither at the buffet nor in the gallery.  
 _So much for not leaving my side._  
Ignis sighed.

“What’s with the long face, Cinderella?”  
Ignis turned around to see Dino, gesturing in his direction with his drink.

“Dino.”

“Whoah, you could be happier to see me, you know?”, the man joked around.  
“Got lost?”

“Dino, you didn’t happen to see Noct by chance?”

“Oh, yeah, I did. Think he went out there, into the garden.”

The garden. The only place he hadn’t searched for some reason.

“Thank you kindly.”

Without any further word Ignis turned on his heel and made for the garden. Past the people, finely dressed up and entangled in superficial talk with stilted laughter. He could spot Regis, his walking stick at hand, talking to a reporter as it seemed. And Coctura, hurrying around to replace the food where ever it had to be.

As he stepped outside, a whiff of cool air hit his face, blowing away all the dizziness from the hustle and bustle inside. It was quieter here, fresher, somewhat easier to breathe.  
The wind rustled the evergreen plants, a quiet murmur under the moonlit sky.

“Noct?”

“Yeah?”

Ignis turned his head into the direction the voice had come from, somewhere behind one of the hedges, a shadow of a silhouette in the dark.

“Sorry, it got too loud inside. I needed a break”, Noctis said into the night as Ignis slowly stepped closer.

Ignis wanted to say something, anything in return but as he approached the silhouette those words fell silent. Instead he gawped at Noctis, fascinated by the sight.

Noctis was sitting on the border of the fountain, one leg propped up and back against a stone figure. The moonlight was casting a magic glow onto Noctis’ face, pale shadows gently running along his features, accentuating the etheral appearance. He almost looked like a creature straight of a dream.

”Noct... You’re beautiful.”

The words slipped pass between his lips before Ignis had been able to hold them back. But it should be alright. He was just stating the obvious after all.

Noctis slowly turned around his head and the moonlight chased the shadows away from his face until he stopped the motion. The corners of his eyes softened and a thoughtful smile was playing around his mouth.

“What’s that about?”, Noctis asked with a low and husky voice.

Ignis felt like jumping out of his skin and just erase the few seconds prior to his uttering, when Noctis laughed.

“I’m just kidding Iggy.”  
Then after a moment: “Thanks.”

When Ignis stood there, frozen in place, Noctis suggested he should sit down next to him.  
“It makes your head cool down. Sort of. It’s nice. Care to join me?”

While Ignis made for the fountain, thousands of possible justifications to excuse his slip up ran through is mind, all of them picked up and quickly discarded as not good enough. He dropped all of them when he noticed that Noctis didn’t really seem to mind. Instead he was calmly looking at the water surface.

“How’d your dance go?”

“Oh. It, ah... yes, it was quite nice.”

Noctis hummed in response.  
“Looking good there on the floor. Didn’t know you could dance that well.”

Ignis adjusted his glasses.  
“Well, I suppose there has been no real opportunity to show you. I rather don’t boast with it though. It is but a matter of practise.”

A moment of silence followed. The soft breeze was rippling the water and swashed the reflection of the moon.

“Noct, is... everything alright?”

Another silent beat passed.

“I guess”, Noctis replied, still not taking his eyes off the water.  
“It just always ends up the same in the end. I still can’t manage to fit into all this.”

Ignis frowned.  
“You did a good job back there. I don’t see why you would doubt yourself.”

“No, no, that’s not it. I _can_ talk when I have to. A matter of practise, was it?”  
Noctis gave a sad smile.  
“No, I mean the people. Talking, behaving, that kind of stuff. It’s always my biggest problem. I mean, look at you. You are doing just fine and I never seem to get it right. Not to mention my father of course. Compared to him, I’m nothing but a poor blueprint.”

Ignis hummed.  
“Please correct me if I’m wrong, but blueprints are usually used as a primary base to work on, aren’t they?”

Noctis snorted.  
“Yeah. So?”

“Well then it is quite easy.”  
Ignis finally sat down next to Noctis.  
“You are a skilled artist and－ No, don’t try to convince me otherwise now. As a skilled artist you will take that blueprint and turn it into an artwork of your own. Something unique. I believe it was you who talked to me about having this wish. Being known for who you are and not what you stand for, it was? I don’t think that you’re too far away from that? At least as far as it goes for me. I only knew you as Noct and I still see no difference, even with those changed surroundings.”  
He smiled.  
“Trust me, you are doing just fine.”

“Yeah. With _your_ help.”

“Ah, you cannot achieve everything on your own.”

Noctis couldn’t hold back a chuckle.  
“God, you’re cheesy.”

But at least Ignis’ words seemed to have reached him when he finally let go of the water and turned his face towards Ignis.  
“Always there to cheer me up, huh?”

Ignis smiled.  
“Glad to be of ser－ oh? Noct, bend over here for a second, would you?” He waved him over with one hand.  
“There are some leaves stuck to your hair.”

Knowing how fussy Noctis could get when it came to his hair, Ignis carefully plucked out the little green villains one by one.

“There you go. Noct?”

Ignis could make out a weak trembling in Noctis’ shoulders. Before he could ask him if everything was alright, he found himself confronted with a captivating big pair of blue eyes, glistening in the faint light of the moon, rendering him motionless. He had never seen them that close, Ignis realises as he was hypnotised by the gaze who was drawing in closer bit by bit. 

Ignis’ mind went blank, those curious blue eyes of almost feline character hovering only inches away from his own. Did he have something on his face? His lenses maybe? He could feel something tighten in his chest.

“Ooooooh, what have we here?”

Noctis yanked away instantly at the voice calling out from the entrance and almost hit his head.

“If it isn’t our beloved Noctis and his Sugar Plum Fairy. I hope you were not thinking about a refreshing nightly fling. The water is bitterly cold.”

Ignis had to remind himself to breathe under the throbbing sound of his own pulse in his ears.  
What had happened just now?

“I-I throw myself into the water if I want to”, Noctis shot back with a stutter.

Ardyn, Noctis’ uncle, was striding towards them a glass of wine in one hand.  
“Oh, I can totally understand that. I must admit it is rather stuffy inside. But apart from the rather unpleasant temperature, you might want to pay attention that you don’t end up being in deep water. Should you misjudge a situation, by accident of course.”

Ignis could see Ardyn peeking at him and felt an uncomfortable chill running down his spine. He didn’t like his twisted way of talking.

“What do you want?”, Noctis barked.

“Actually, your father is looking for you. He wants your assistance in a conversation that is most likely to link with the plans of your future project. It seems to be an important matter.”

Noctis groaned.  
“You’re sure?”

Ardyn threw up his free hand.  
“I wouldn’t dare to make jokes on the company’s behalf. I think I deserve that much credit, do I not?”

“Right.”  
Noctis gritted his teeth and looked at Ignis, only to immediately lower his eyes to somewhere along the height of his shoulders.  
“Sorry, Specs. Do you mind tagging along for a bit?”

“N-not at all”, Ignis answered as he readjusted his glasses.

As he was about to stand, Ardyn forced him to sit down again by pushing a hand on his shoulder.  
“I think I’d like to have a word with your friend. If you don’t mind, _Ignis_?”

Noctis wanted to protest, but Ignis signaled him with a quick nod that he didn’t need to.  
“I’ll be fine, Noctis. Don’t worry. I will join you later.”

The black haired boy pursed his lips and let his eyes flicker over to Ardyn, then back to him.  
“Okay. Don’t take too long, okay?”  
Before Noctis reentered the hall he turned around once more, as if to make sure Ignis would really be okay. Then, with a swift movement he was gone.

 

“A splendid night, isn’t it?”, Ardyn asked as he sat down next to Ignis, who had stiffened up. He hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected a lot of things, but Ardyn wanting to talk to him was definitely one of them.

“Impressive indeed”, Ignis answered warily, watching the purple haired man seemingly ponder over his beverage. There was something unsettling about the way the corners of his mouth twitched and his eyes flickered back to him and then back to his glass.  
What did he want of him?

“You know this needs to end, boy”, Ardyn hummed, thoughtfully swaying the wine in his glass. 

Ignis blinked fast.  
“Beg you pardon? I don’t think I can follow the conversation.”

Ardyn gave a low laugh.  
“Then let me phrase it a bit differently. You should avoid making yourself dependent on Noctis. Don’t be so foolish and make the mistake of clinging to him too tightly. There is no place for you in a treacherous world like this. You would be but a bother to him.”

The rather direct message took Ignis aback. He straightened out his shoulders, ready to take on a fight in words, should there arise one.  
“Noctis is my friend”, Ignis stated firmly, “probably the dearest one I have ever known. Why would I ever become a bother?” 

“Your _friend_... I see”, Ardyn mused.  
“So I suppose you would do anything for that _friend_ , am I not right?”

Ignis tried to make out where this question was hinting at but he couldn’t figure it out.

“So, assuming that your _dear friend_ Noctis asked you to help him get out of all of this”, he gestured around generously, “would you?”

“I don’t see a reason for him to be possibly be asking that”, Ignis answered puzzled.

“Well then, think about it a little. I know you are good at that”, Ardyn smiled.  
“Imagine how troublesome it would be should Noctis decide to take a liking in you, just on a whim. Because he is lost in a moment he thinks that he has fallen for you and is convinced to have taken a hold of the most precious crystal in his hand.”  
Ignis saw Ardyn peeking at him from the corner of his eyes.  
“But soon enough he would see that the crystal is a sham, that he has been looking at a sphere of glass that would go shattering to pieces at his feet at his mistake. Along with his life and the circumstances revolving around it. With all due respect, I doubt you would be able to take the responsibility.”

“Forgive me for being blunt, but this is a rather absurd example to give. Noct would never...”  
Ignis didn’t know why he stopped. He could feel his heart beating fast and he felt a lump forming in his throat.

“Oh, maybe he wouldn’t”, Ardyn took another sip of his beverage.  
“But then all of my talking would have been for naught, so please just play along and try to imagine it. And then think about Noctis. Think about _Regis_ , the company. There is so much going on behind the curtains, you wouldn’t even know. But you must understand that you cannot just rob the play of its main character. Thinking your opinion of what is for his better would be such a selfish thing to do.”

“You are just saying this because you hate him, aren’t you?”, Ignis asked curtly.

“Oh no, it is not Noctis I despise”, the man purred with distant eyes. “Neither is it you, rest assured.”

The bitterness in his voice and the blend of sadness and wrath in the man’s eyes, something about the way he behaved made Ignis believe those words. In all the twisted way he was behaving, Ardyn seemed to know a lot of things and care more about them than he let on. He had been hurt by something in the past, no doubt, but right now, he was speaking the truth.

“He cannot deny an offer like that, being wed to a privileged and highly intelligent woman like Lady Lunafreya. Can you imagine what consequences a decline would have on the family reputation, on both sides that is. That is just what society is for you.”

Ignis stayed quiet, listening to the husky voice of the man next to him. His body and mind felt heavy and sluggish.

“You are dreaming, my boy”, Ardyn continued.  
“It might be a pleasant dream, yes, but you are about to wake up. And that you must. For both, your sake and Noctis’. You need to let him go.”  
His eyes of liquid gold were now fixed on Ignis.  
“Any possible sprout of scandal has to be nipped in the bud, this is how things work. Disappointing, isn’t it? Although I, for my part would definitely be interested in spicing things up a bit. But not at your cost.”

“A dream...?”  
Ignis felt the sting in is chest working his way in deeper. Maybe Ardyn was right. All of this had been nothing more than a row of coincidences, lining up like fine pearls on a necklace. It was nice to look at, but nothing more than scattering moments once the ties were cut. Could he really be ruining Noctis’ life?

Taking a look at the windows Ignis could spot Noctis and his father talking with Ravus and Lunafreya. Regis was laughing kindly and even Noctis had put on an awkward smile. He couldn’t hold back a sigh. The thought that he could be disturbing anything in Noctis’ life, anything Noctis had worked hard to sustain or even build up from zero, was painful. He had never wanted to. Had he really been that selfish? Ignis could feel his cheeks flush in despair.

“See? This is how it is supposed to be. The perfect match, a fairy tale couple. Not to mention everyone is expecting them to be.”  
Ardyn stood and looked down onto Ignis.  
“Turn back while you still can, my boy. We do not want to end this in a tragedy, do we?”

And then the tall man strode back into the hall, leaving Ignis to himself and the thoughts spiraling in his mind. The wind picked up, sending a chill through his body.  
Maybe he should really have kept out of all this. Had it been something he had been looking up to? Yes, of course. The upper ring had always held that special magic for him. But he had never really seen himself there. Not rationally.

Right, he had always been rational about the actions he was taking. Think things through, build up a plan, then act according to it and nothing could go wrong. It had been effortless until Noctis had stepped into his life. Noctis had rattled his belief in rationality and moved him to take actions he hadn’t even been able thinking of more than once.

This was not necessarily a bad thing though and Ignis didn’t regret anything about it. Noctis had taken him to live an exciting adventure, just like you would read about in the books. He couldn’t deny that he was baffled by the turns this story had taken but all in all Ignis was inclined to think of it as blessing. A glimpse to a different life.

But he had made the mistake to never think of the consequences his behaviour could have for Noctis. Not even for one moment. How could he have been that selfish? How could he not have noticed?  
Ignis wanted to make up for this. He definitely had to apologise to Noctis for the inconveniences he might have caused unknowingly. Or the ones Noctis had been too polite to tell him about.  
He had ignored the circumstances long enough. Time to make his rationality work again to set things right.

It looked like the end of this evening would also mark the end of his brief adventure. The end of the book.  
Thinking about it made Ignis take a wistful breath. It was a pity.

Ignis locked away the notion of grief clawing itself deep into his chest. He could deal with this later. The evening was not over yet and there still had to be memories to be gathered.  
He collected himself and made for the hall.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the party ends.

Noctis had a bad feeling leaving Ignis behind with Ardyn. Ignis had signaled that he’d be okay, but one could never know. He would try to make it back as soon as possible. And should he find out that Ardyn had tricked him again only to instill some weird thoughts or opinions in Ignis, he’d totally give him hell.

When he stepped into the hall, he knew that it hadn’t been a lie and that his father had really been looking for him. Regis’ face lit up the second he spotted his son and he waved him over.

_At least that no-good wasn’t trying to play tricks on me. Ugh, damn._

The company that was with his father though made him dread the conversation he was about to have. It was no other than Ravus and Luna, Ravus glaring at him as usual and Luna with a vaguely insecure smile. Well, at least she was smiling and not frowning at him.  
_You need to discuss this_ , Ignis’ words echoed in his mind.

_Yeah, sure. But maybe not with dad and Luna’s guard dog around..._

“Ah, Noctis.”  
A curt and not much cordial greeting from Ravus. There was nothing else to be expected.  
“We just had a look at the gallery. I must say your creations are more refined that I anticipated. It was quite impressive.”

“Oh, uhm.”  
Noctis cleared his throat.  
“Yeah, thanks. I’m glad you like it.”

Next to him Regis raised a reproachful eyebrow.

_Language, I know_.  
He would have liked to roll his eyes but he knew better.

“We are very much looking forward to see what you will come up with for our project, right Ravus?”, Luna added. “You told me you had some ideas you would like to discuss with Noctis some time.”  
It seemed Ravus - yes _that_ Ravus - actually had an eye for aesthetically pleasing things. Or at least he thought so but was reluctant to show it.  
Noctis thought it was weird.

“Which is exactly the point of why I was looking for you”, Regis continued.  
“See, we have been talking about that aromatherapy project just now and I was actually planning on handing it over to your full supervision.”

Noctis hadn’t expected this and his jaw almost dropped.

“You need to learn about managing projects after all, even if you are mainly in charge of the design department right now. We have to be able to rely on you, for the future of the company. Now, before you say anything, Ravus has offered his help on this matter, so you would not be completely on your own.”

Ravus nodded towards Noctis.  
That was big news. He didn’t have that much responsibility until now and having Ravus as _support_ at his side didn’t really take away the pressure that was behind it. His father was right. Eventually Noctis would have to follow in his footsteps. But he didn’t think that he’d have to experience anything in this direction that soon.

“Wow, I... dad I don’t know what to say.”

“You will not have to worry, Noctis”, Regis tried to reassure him. “We will still be in contact about everything and I will gladly hear you out should you be looking for advice.”

“That’s... yeah. I think I’ll need that.”  
This was so much information at once. Noctis wasn’t even able to process everything.

“As we thought it would make sense for you to have an insight into our job and our ethics to work on a product that can go conform with both your company and our hospital, my sister suggested that we should take you with us when we leave for Tenebrae”, Ravus continued to explain.  
“That way you will be able to take a look at everything first hand and work on the project on-site. She deemed this to be for the best.”

Noctis turned his head towards Luna, confusion probably written all over his face.  
She shot him an apologetic smile.  
“We can provide accomodation for you and I thought... maybe you will find a chance to sort things out.”

“B-but dad, you’ll be coming with me, right?”

Regis sighed.  
“I cannot leave our head office for a time span that long. You must understand that. Oh, but don’t tell me that you fear getting homesick?”

“N-no, I’m not a kid after all.”  
They laughed and Noctis also tried to act cool and play along. He wasn’t sure if his smile was really one.

“Good”, Regis smiled.  
“We will see it organised then. I am very proud of you, Noctis.”  
Again, it hadn’t really been a choice though.  
“Ravus, if you could lend me a quick ear...”

While Ravus and Regis started setting up a plan for Noctis’ move to Tenebrae, Luna approached Noctis, who had still been too confused to really act.  
She gently touched his arm.

“Noctis, I am sorry. I am sure this a lot for you right now but please, come along. It was me who came up with this idea, and believe me when I say that it is not what it seems to be.”  
Luna looked at him with determined eyes.  
“I have thought this through. Even Ravus does not know all of it. And this way... I thought we could make some time on our own, without anybody around. There is... something I would like to talk to you about, Noctis.”

“Yeah.”  
Noctis looked around restlessly.  
Of course there was. It probably was about the engagement.  
_So she’s going to ask for my answer then... Oh gosh..._

“I don’t... I don’t know if it is something you would expect from me”, Luna explained hesitantly, “but I need to talk to you. It is for both our goods. For both yours and mine. Even though it will cost me a bit of courage”, she chuckled diffidently.

Noctis didn’t know what to answer. Both their goods? Courage? What was she even talking about? What did she know anyways? But he couldn’t really blame her. Actually he couldn’t really blame anyone but his father for agreeing to think about the engagement. And even he was probably only trying to support Noctis in his best possible way.

Why him? Why now? Just when he had made himself a little space where he felt comfortable. Things had gotten much more enjoyable, even work had. But only until he had been thrown back into his prebuilt tracks. It was frustrating. Had everything been for nothing?

“Noctis?”

The young man looked at her.

“We will work this out together. Please give it a chance.”

“In... Tenebrae?”

Luna nodded.

Noctis looked at his father and Ravus, who were gradually wandering towards the bar. He even had the impression of seeing Ravus smile. He was probably wrong though.

“I guess...”  
_I guess, I have no choice._  
But he could not say that. He didn’t want to hurt Luna, she wasn’t at fault.  
“I guess I’ll get my stuff packed starting from tomorrow then, huh?”

A wry smile was pulling at his lips. It did not touch his eyes.

“Say, Noctis, do you like living in Insomnia?”

Noctis shrugged.  
“Yeah. It’s where I grew up after all. I know all the streets and shops. And then there’s the people around. Of course there’s dad, but also my friends, Prompto, Ignis...”

Right. Ignis. He would have to leave Ignis.

“Would you miss them?”

“Y-yeah, probably? I mean, I’m not a total stranger around Tenebrae either, but... They’re what makes me feel at home, I guess.”

“I see.”  
Luna was about to say something but she remained silent.

“Sorry, Luna. It’s just so much I...”

Luna smiled and nodded.  
“It is alright. We will talk about this too. But not tonight. We will leave in the following days then.”  
She took a few steps back.  
“I am sorry to have pushed this onto your shoulders, Noctis. But please trust me that I will stay by your side until the fog of obscurity has lifted.”  
And then she left him alone making her way for the gallery.

Noctis felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. All of this made no sense. He wanted to cry or shout, anything to let out this inner chaos. But he couldn’t, not here.

_Push it aside. You can’t do anything about it right now. Save the dealing for later._  
He hated to be dragged into behaving like an adult.

A subtle cough in his immediate surroundings made him jump. It was none other than Ignis, who had come back from the outside, green eyes sparking behind his frames and a smirk on his face.

_Forget it. Screw everything. He’s here_ now _, and won’t leave until tomorrow._

“You startled me”, Noctis said, letting his eyes hover over his well clad friend, or whatever he should call him. It suited him just so well.  
His eyes stopped midway as Ignis directed a plate towards him.

“I somehow managed to secure the last one, as it seems”, Ignis said.  
“I thought you might want to have it?”

Noctis had to laugh. It had really become ridiculous that everything came back to those pastries.  
“Couldn’t say no to that”, he huffed, gratefully taking the pastry.  
He had started nibbling at the crust when Ignis remarked him to take it _with_ the plate, and that he wouldn’t mind but that the circumstances required adequate behaviour.

“If you’re done with eating then”, Ignis continued, handing him a napkin after Noctis had basically downed the sweet tart, “would you mind showing me what you are working on when you’re not turning your friends into advertisements?”  
Ignis was looking at him with an amused twitch of his lips and pointed at the gallery.

“You’re really... interested in that? Didn’t think you were the type for it”, Noctis answered in surprise.

“Frankly, I do not _know_ a lot about your work, but that doesn’t mean I do not _care_. What I do know is if things are aesthetically pleasing to me. For the everything else I trust you to take the lead?”

Noctis couldn’t help but shoot a fond smile at Ignis. He didn’t know if he was only being polite, but at least it didn’t look like it. And he shouldn’t, really. They were long past this point.

“Okay, then?”, Noctis shrugged.  
“Then follow me. It’s this way.”

The gallery had been crowded before but many of the guests, or at least those who were attending mainly because they were fans and admirers of Lucis had already had their look at the exhibition. There were about 30 flacons and vials on display, such as explanations about the associated product line and a rough explanation of the thoughts Noctis and Dino had had when designing them.  
Of course, they had not been able to write down all of it let alone accurately capture the vision Noctis had had for some of the works but Noctis tried his best to explain everything to Ignis in minute detail. While he was holding an almost one-sided monologue, he sensed that Ignis’ eyes were hovering over him. Not in an uncomfortable way, but he had the impression that Ignis was looking more at him than at the actual flasks he was talking about.

Noctis asked him, if the things he was talking about weren’t getting boring after some time but Ignis insisted on it to be interesting and asked him to go on. Feeling self-conscious and a bit nervous, in an interestingly good kind of way, Noctis continued his explanations. When bending over one or the other showcase, their shoulders occasionally brushed together, always followed by an apology on Ignis’ behalf. Not that it was really needed.  
All the time they spent walking through the exhibition, Ignis’ gaze was Noctis’ steady companion, his appreciative humming his audience. It brought a smile to his face.

“Quite impressive”, Ignis praised him, as they walked down the staircase.

“Oh, come on”, Noctis scoffed, “you weren’t even listening, right?”

“I might have missed one or the other elaboration”, he chuckled, which earned him a swat to the arm.  
“Well then, what should we－”

“Noct! Iggy!”

Just when they had reached the base of the stairway, Prompto was coming at them with a bright expression, Gladio following behind.  
“Better keep your voice down, or you’re going to be thrown out”, Gladio snorted.

Prompto gestured at his friends with an incredulous look in Gladio’s direction.  
“Ex _cuse_ me? Is something wrong with your eyes?”

“Hey”, Noctis punched Prompto’s arm.  
“I thought you weren’t one to care about appearances.”

“I’m not! But, I mean, that’s a whole new level of fanciness, dude! You can’t deny that.”  
Prompto hooked his arm over Noctis’ shoulder and turned him away from Ignis, who was just greeting Gladio.  
“What have you done to Iggy? He looks _amazing_!”, Prompto whispered through clenched teeth.

“Not really me, a co-worker’s choice”, Noctis returned, struggling under the weight on his shoulders.

“Okay, I got it. But holy moly!”, Prompto grinned and wriggled with his eyebrows.

“Don’t do that!”, Noctis burst out in laughter.

“Gentlemen, you are causing a ruckus”, Ignis remarked pointedly, with a sardonically arched brow.  
The two boys spun around again.

“My bad”, Noctis apologised laughing.

“Pfft, having fun, ain’t you”, Gladio stated amused.

“What are you actually doing inside? Shouldn’t you be securing the entrance area?”, Ignis asked.

“We’re about to head back in a moment”, Gladio answered.  
“Highwind and some of the others are holding the fort. She told us to get inside for ‘check-ups’, so we could at least meet a bit longer than when you came here. Pretty nice actually.”

“And, do you deem everything to be safe?”

Gladio clicked with his tongue.  
“Yeah, the place should be.” His eyes flashed over to Noctis and back again. “Can’t guarantee for _your_ safety though. That’s beyond me.”

Ignis lifted a puzzled eyebrow.  
“I didn’t know I was in need of a personal bodyguard.”

“Might as well be prepared to lose something precious then. You’ll never get it back, you know?”, he winked at the lanky man, chuckling after Ignis’ face derailed in utter confusion.

“D-don’t give it too much thought”, Prompto tried to stop the cogwheels that had started spinning inside Ignis’ head. “Just make sure you two stick together. You’ll be good then.”

Noctis wasn’t sure if Gladio had meant it the way he had understood it, but this had definitely sounded like a personal attack. What on Eos was he expecting from him? Noctis could feel the heat rising to his head and pressed his lips together as if this would help to make it stop.

“You alright, Noct?”, Ignis asked, confusion still written all over his face.

“Y-yeah, totally. I just... thought that... I’m thirsty and would like to drink something. Yeah. Let’s go. Bye, guys.”

The two policemen seemed to struggle with holding back their laughter as Noctis quickly shoved Ignis towards the bar shooting a flustered glare at them.

_You little shits._  
It was not like that. Not really. A little maybe. But who was he to actually start something anyways?

 

The time passed by and the evening sky changed into its nightly cloak. But the late hour didn’t have that much of an effect on the ongoing party. While some of the guests from far away had already left, many of the remaining found themselves either on the dance floor or chatting and debating in big groups. Regis could be seen surrounded by about a dozen people, while he was enthusiastically telling tales of no importance.

Meanwhile, Noctis wasn’t able to keep up the good mood that well anymore. He drifted away into silence more than once. Of course, everything was alright, that’s what he told Ignis when he asked.  
“I’m just tired”, he said sitting next to him on one of the stairs.

Right as Noctis was pondering over resting his head against Ignis’ shoulder, Ardyn strolled by. He clearly had no intention to stop near the two of them but he could see Ignis straighten his back in all subtlety.

“Tick-tock”, Ardyn hummed as he walked by.  
“The time is almost up. Maybe you should leave the party before the clock strikes twelve?”

Noctis didn’t miss the eye contact he made with Ignis and the way Ignis was looking back at him, firm but sad.

“We wouldn’t want our dear Noctis to lack sleep, would we?”  
And then he was gone again, leaving a trail of a heavy scent behind.

“Maybe he is right”, Ignis said after a few moments passed.  
“You look quite exhausted and I must admit my ability to focus is diminishing with each second.”

Noctis didn’t want to play along with whatever Ardyn had meant with his remark. He stubbornly wanted to hold against it.  
But then again, he was really tired.

Both of them ended up in one of the cars that was taking them back to the heart of Insomnia and to the Caelum residence. The way was long and silent.  
Noctis wondered what Ignis was thinking about. He was definitely thinking about something the way he was gazing out of the window for the whole drive.  
Or at least for the parts Noctis hadn’t dozed off. He found himself gently woken by Ignis when they had reached their destination.

 

“Man, I’m really beat”, Noctis groaned as he unceremoniously popped off his shoes and dropped his jacket and vest onto a chair.

“It has been a long day”, Ignis agreed, picking up the pieces of clothing Noctis had dropped and folding them neatly.  
“But it worked out quite well, didn’t it? At least as far as I am able to judge.”

“Hmhm.”  
Noctis fought back a yawn as he pulled off his plastron. He couldn’t fall asleep just yet.  
“You did a great job, Iggy”, he murmured, rubbing his eyes. “Could’ve gone in a little more relaxed, but really you blended in just fine. What were you so worried about?”

“Ah, I wonder...”  
Ignis was fiddling with the buttons of his shirt.

With a low thud Noctis flung himself onto the bed, shirt half open and his dress pants still in place. He’d have to tell Ignis. About what looked like an inevitable marriage after all and his journey to Tenebrae.  
Pictures of the evening replayed in Noctis’ mind when he suddenly paused.

“What did Ardyn want from you earlier, by the way?”, Noctis asked. “I can’t remember one single time that man said relevant things. Honestly, I am really sorry for leaving you back then. I hope he didn’t creep you out?”

A heartbeat passed.  
“No, it was... a quite substantial conversation”, Ignis answered with a hint of hesitation.  
“About duties and... my work and the banquet in general. It would be too much to really recite all the details.”

Noctis frowned. That sounded like a weird conversation.

“And what about you?”, Ignis asked with a suddenly enthusiastic voice.  
“I was happy to see that you were able to talk to Lady Lunafreya while I was outside. Have you been able to mend fences?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, yeah, we talked a bit. Not that much though.”  
Noctis frowned.  
“Did _you_ ask her to talk to me when you were dancing?”

“Well, I suggested that if there was something on her mind, which seemed to be the case, that she should be the one to take a step towards you. But I didn’t specify when or how and she didn’t say anything about what she wanted to tell you.”

“Huh.”  
So Ignis had encouraged that outcome somehow? What if he had known about the plan after all?  
Noctis didn’t want to believe that though.

“You know, I... Haaah...”  
Noctis sat himself up.  
“I’ve been scheduled for Tenebrae. Dad wants me to lead the collaboration project and Luna suggested I should do my work on site.”

“Is that so?”, Ignis mused.  
“I overheard some of the guests talking about that matter, but I didn’t think it to be more than rumours.”

“No, I’ll have to go. And the way Luna has talked to me? I think she’s about to talk about the engagement after all. She told me about it having to be just the two of us and stuff?”  
Noctis sighed.  
“That’s pretty much giving a broad hint.”

Ignis folded his glasses and put them onto the coffee table.  
“Well, you cannot deny that it is a matter to be talked about, if you ran from it until now. But maybe you shouldn’t see a mere talk as a firm resolution.”

“Yeah, but leaving for Tenebrae to talk lets you already imagine things. She probably doesn’t want to embarrass me in front of Ravus or my dad. I mean, she’ll probably ask me directly because I didn’t give an answer yet.”

“Now, maybe just try to give it a chance without any prejudice. She seemed to be very kind, so I am sure everything will turn out just right. Is it already set when you’ll be headed for Tenebrae?”

“In the next days, together with Luna and Ravus.”

“Oh.”  
Noctis could see Ignis swallow. The beat of silence that followed was more than uncomfortable.

“Well, but at least you will get to experience the most renowned pastries at first hand.”, Ignis tried to cheer him up. “It is a tenebraean specialty after all.”

Noctis doubted it would be the same.

“Can’t you just... come with me?”, Noctis asked, realising how dumb and childish that question had been just the moment he had asked it.

“Noct...”  
Ignis sat down next to him onto the bed.  
“How am I even supposed to? You know that I have my duties here in Insomnia. I cannot possibly leave the bar for... for how long, did you say?”

Noctis shrugged.  
“Dunno yet. But projects take some time. But... hey! What if I paid you to come with me? We could just live together at the place they’re going to get me, or maybe at your uncle’s if there is enough place? I sure we could－”  
He was cut off by a pair of reproachful green eyes directed at him.

“Yeah, I know”, he sighed in defeat.  
“Sorry Iggy, I... never mind.”

A while they did nothing but sit next to each other, Noctis’ eyes directed to the floor. He was searching for words, anything to break the silence but he just couldn’t find a clear thought.

Ignis seemed to be successful with it though.  
He cleared his throat.  
“I’m afraid to add another threat to your journey, but you will _have_ to acquire the dancing skill then. I highly doubt anybody there is going to take over that part for you.”

Noctis could sense by the tone of his voice that he was trying to cheer him up. That was just so Ignis. He was always caring about him, as far as he could think back.  
A weak laugh escaped him.  
”Please don’t say that. I told you I’m bad at it. It’s not even a lie, I swear.”

Ignis raised a defying eyebrow.  
“Oh come on now. It cannot possibly be that bad, can it?”

“Ah yeah? Wanna find out?”

The taller man chuckled amused, stood up from the bed and elegantly spread his arms into a dancing position before him.  
Which would have looked gorgeous if he hadn’t been standing there in nothing but a shirt that was too tight and only boxer shorts at the bottom.  
“If you please then, Noct?”

Getting that close to Ignis made Noctis’ heart pick up its pace. It was not like they hadn’t gotten closer or occasionally touched each others’ shoulder, arm or anything. This seemed by far more intimate than any of those casual touches.  
Their upper bodies touched along one side and Noctis’ stomach was making uncoordinated flip-flops when Ignis guided his hand to the small of his back. The fact that the shirt left a part of skin exposed right there didn’t really help him calm down. He would never be able to have this. And Ignis would never know.  
Noctis didn’t know which of those two was worse.

“Okay, an important point is that your partner has to be able to trust your lead”, Ignis explained.  
“You have to be sure of what you do and guide through the dance with your well practised steps.”

“They are not well practised though?”, Noctis muttered.

“Let us pretend they were then. Good. We are going for an easy, normal waltz. Can you do that? Do you know the steps?”

“I think... yeah? The one-two-three one?”

“Exactly, the ‘one-two-three one’”, Ignis smiled at him.  
It could have been a trick of his imagination but Noctis had the impression that the smile didn’t really touch his eyes.  
“Now then, if you would? You will have to take the lead.”

The first rounds went rather smoothly, mainly because Ignis was still helping with the lead and stoically counting the rhythm. Noctis could feel Ignis gradually hand over the lead and ease off on the counting.  
It was not shortly after that when Noctis stepped on Ignis’ foot for the first time. Ignis had laughed it off and asked him to try again. It was so easy as long as Ignis had the lead but as soon as it was Noctis’ turn, things went shaky and they had to stop.

“See?”, Noctis groaned. “I just can’t.”

“I don’t think it is too bad, to be honest. Come on, Noct, one more time.”

“No, thanks. Enough frustration for tonight.”  
That was not even a lie. What Noctis didn’t say was that their physical closeness was about to _reveal things_ , that couldn’t be hidden. That would cause more than just one problem.

“I thought you were more tenacious. Giving up already?”  
There was something about the way he said it and about the open look in Ignis’ eyes that made Noctis gravitate towards him again. 

“Okay, but only one more time.”

When their arms and bodies were aligned, it was Noctis’ turn to take the lead right from the beginning and they began to dance under the staccato of Ignis’ count.  
It was only a matter of time until Noctis tripped over his own feet and lost his balance. Totally caught unaware the two men crashed to the floor unceremoniously. Noctis found himself on top of Ignis, awkwardly pinning him to the ground with one hand and keeping himself from crashing down onto him with the other hand propped up right next to Ignis’ head. His heart was hammering in his chest from the shock of actually falling.

“Sorry! Are－ are you hurt?”, Noctis spluttered out, not taking his eyes away from the face below him.

“I somehow managed to not hurt my head”, Ignis groaned and grimaced as he was trying to wriggle himself up. “The back is not welcoming it though.”

“Okay. Great.”  
Noctis couldn’t move. Not like he wanted to. She should have gotten off him as fast as possible, but he was just glued there.

“Noct? Could you... Would you mind letting me get up again?”

Noctis only looked at Ignis’ face. He was totally focused on the wide, deep green eyes directed at him and seemed to have forgotten about anything else. It was just him and Ignis. His Ignis.

“Noct?”

Was he thinking that way about him too? Was he _his_ Noctis? Or just a friend whom he had happened to get close with by accident? A good friend he would happily send off into marriage and feel nothing but joy, no hint of sadness, no what-ifs and nagging loneliness back in his chest?  
Noctis didn’t know the answer. And asking was just completely out of question. What if Ignis would turn his back on him if he knew? Or laugh it off? Would he believe him?  
Either way, the joke was on him.

“Noctis...?”

Maybe this would never come to pass. Maybe he would never get another chance.  
Noctis could feel a rush go through his head, making his heart stumble and his breath catch. What was he doing here?

_You will have to take the lead._

And then he just let himself fall. Noctis’ mind went blank and he dipped his head down to close the gap.  
Ignis’ lips were smoother than Noctis had imagined. Warmer and softer. He could feel Ignis’ surprised gasp against his mouth before he pushed closer, lips tentatively and gently brushing against each other, searching for the moment when they would be lost in eternity.

_Just a bit more_ , it was ringing in Noctis’ head. _Just a little longer_.  
Noctis felt Ignis move against him, but whether it was in a kiss or him trying to get words across, he couldn’t fathom.

All at once reality crashed down on him. He was kneeling on top of Ignis and he was kissing him.  
He was _kissing_ him.  
Noctis hastily pulled away and scrambled off the body of the tall man on his floor. Both of them were breathless and Ignis was just looking at him wordlessly, eyes blown wide, lips slightly apart in reminiscence of what held them together just seconds prior.

All the alarms started to ring in Noctis’ ears. He had to come up with something. He had to somehow. He had to－

“Haha, uh. Th-that’s, uhm...”

_Shit!!!_

Noctis pressed the back of his fist against his lips, his cheeks flushed a wild red.

“Th-that’s how I’m going to apologise to Luna, if- if something l-like that happens. Haha, right. Like, if I trip or stuff. Good idea, huh? I’ll be t-totally fine. M-man, thanks for helping me clear up my doubts. I really owe you one.”

Ignis had sat up slowly and carefully raised his hand to let his fingers hover over his lips. He lowered his gaze.  
“Right”, he uttered, a breathless whisper against his fingers.

It was the first time Noctis had seen Ignis like that, knocked over and silent, his face totally unmasked yet unreadable.  
It was unsettling. Oh Heavens, what had he done?

“I count on you to... make it to the wedding, alright? I- I’ll let you know”, Noctis stammered before he got up jerkily.

“I’ll take a shower. Then, I’ll sleep. We should sleep. Yeah. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Ignis said nothing in response.

When Noctis came back from his shower, Ignis had already fallen asleep. Or at least he seemed to have. Ignis was lying on the couch, blankets pulled up high just over the ears and his back faced Noctis’ bed.

As he walked by the couch and to bed, Noctis felt a pang of despair. What would the morning bring? Had he messed up? Did Ignis hate him now?  
Most of all, Noctis dreaded having to leave for Tenebrae and not knowing when he would be coming back.

He snuggled himself into the pillow, face towards the window, away from the couch.  
Noctis hoped that his hammering heart and the chaos in his head would not keep him from sleeping for too long.

It would be a long night.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everything ends?

With a soft creak of the bed he rolled himself on his back, one arm across his face. The slightly stinging notion behind his eyes told him, that it was yet too early for him to wake up. Dreams hadn’t been merciful with him tonight but work wouldn’t be done by staying in bed.

_A tiring day it is then._

With a resigned sigh Ignis flung his legs out of the bed and stayed there for a while, head propped up in his hands, elbows on his knees. Through his fingers, he could see daylight coming in from the door he had left ajar, as he always did before going to sleep in his windowless little chamber. He was used to sleep deprivation, it had been a faithful companion since he had come to Insomnia.

_Ironic._

A look at the alarm clock on his bed stand told him 8:55. Just about the time the market would get crowded, especially taking in account that they almost marked the end of the year, holidays and festivities to come. Probably the entity of Insomia was busy planning their grocery shopping, just as last year, and the years before.  
Everything was so loud and busy.

Ignis sighed as he finally stood up and got dressed. Shirt under pullover, sturdy trousers and thick socks. At least for the time being outside. It was rumoured that Insomnia might see snow for once during the next days.  
He brushed his hair up, then into a swift sweep to the side, using a spare amount of pomade to hold it in place. By now he managed to make it look effortless and elegant.

Downstairs, Ignis roughly checked on his supplies. He had made a shopping list only yesterday, but one could never be careful enough. But apart from what he had already written down everything seemed to be in place. There was still enough milk, eggs, spices...

_Oh._

He noticed a gap on the shelf. No, not actually a gap, there was one jar still pushed all back against the wall. Ignis stretched himself a bit to see what was missing there in the front.  
His hand pulled back with the jar, filled with dark and saturated purples and reds. A dull but gentle smile crossed his face.  
He wondered if some of the merchants still had Ulwaat berries in stock to replenish his jam. If not, he would have to do without for the next weeks. Not that it would matter.

Ignis carefully put back the jar and decided to have his cup of coffee later, once he was back from the market. It had gotten cold lately, so he might need to warm up before getting to work.

Clad in his warm coat, scarf pulled up to his chin, Ignis locked the door and started walking.  
It had been almost two months since the Lucis gala had been held and Noctis had left for Tenebrae shortly afterwards. It had been an awkward parting and Ignis hadn’t even had the chance to properly see him off. Noctis hadn’t told him neither exact date nor time of the day he would board the train.

Ignis had hoped for a telegram, just saying ‘oh damn, I totally forgot to tell you! I’m so sorry. I’ll write you later, promise.’ He would have sighed in exasperation, only to chuckle about Noctis’ typical clumsiness.

The telegram never came.

What came was the paycheck Regis had promised. It had been a considerable amount and he had had to check back if there was no mistake made in the numbers written on the document. Everything had been in order though, as the bank personnel had assured. 

Ignis could have upgraded his place, maybe move somewhere closer to the upper ring and still be able to buy a good set of new utensils.  
But he had decided to stay where he was. He had allowed himself the coffee roaster he had been eyeing for so long and a set of new books. The rest of his fee was safely stored on his bank account.  
Another lucky thing was, that Ignis had been able to cut down on his working hours, which allowed him about 15 hours of sleep more per week. At least theoretically.

The wind was more than just chilly and Ignis buried his face into the scarf a bit more, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

As predicted, the market was overrun with people. Ignis wondered how nobody collapsed in this uncoordinated mess and how they could not plan more in advance to avoid the emergence of such crowds. It was a nuisance.  
A bit further away, Ignis could spot Prompto, casually leaning onto a wall and watching over the scrambling folk. His face was reddened from the cold and his freckles had almost vanished, as they always did in winter. Ignis could unmistakably spot traces of dark circles and a shadow of exhaustion on his friend’s face. Whatever he had been up to, it had seemed to have been a busy night.

Ignis passed the blond and greeted him with a short „morning” and a nod in his direction. Prompto looked up from under the bill of his cap and greeted back with a raise of his hand and a tired smile. Tired but genuine at least.

“Heya. Aren’t you a bit early today? Something particular on your schedule?”

Ignis shook his head.  
“No, but I figured that I might as well make use of the time I was granted unexpectedly from waking early. I have not been blessed with a lot of sleep tonight.”

“Happens quite often lately, huh?”

Ignis didn’t like the pitying look Prompto was directing at him.  
“Look, Prompto, there is nothing to be worried about. I can take care of myself very well and it’s not like other people would not sleep unwell from time to time. You should probably be sleeping more as well.”

Prompto held up his hands in defense.  
“I-if you say so. Sorry, Iggy, didn’t mean to freak you out.”

Ignis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if to find a switch to turn off the harsh tone he had been using.  
“I am sorry, Prompto”, he said. “I know you mean well.”

“You look like you could need a holiday, buddy”, Prompto remarked with a concerned smile.  
“Maybe leave for a weekend?”

“Not during holiday season, Prompto”, Ignis shook his head. “I cannot close my bar that easily now.”  
Although he wondered if actually anyone would be coming over for dinner, taking into account the masses that were shopping for food right now.

“Say...”  
Ignis cleared his throat as Prompto’s eyes were curiously fixed on him.  
“Any news of Noct, by chance?”

The blond shrugged apologetically.  
“Not really, no. But don’t you think you’d be the first one for Noct to get in touch with?”

“Frankly, Prompto, I don’t know. I... might as well be a bother to him.”

“I don’t think so.”  
Prompto rocked back and forth on his heels.  
“I don’t know for sure of course. It’s just a feeling. But I’m pretty good with intuition and things.”

“I hope you are right.”  
Ignis appreciated the effort Prompto was making to cheer him up. But having to be cheered up as a mere fact tasted more than bitter. He didn’t like it.

“Well then, I should be on my way”, Ignis excused himself. “It’s terribly cold today.”

“Okay. Be careful to not catch a cold. I’ll come by to see you sometime in the holiday. At the bar I mean. Would be sad if you were closed then.”

“Yes, thank you Prompto.”  
He adjusted his scarf and went for the battlefield that was the market, while Prompto waved him good bye.

 

After a long battle against the masses, Ignis left the market with a big paper bag stuffed with groceries. He had been lucky enough and one of the merchants had sold him the last of the Ulwaat berries he had had in stock. It had brought out a silent smile.

 

When Ignis turned into the street where his bar was located, he frowned behind the border of the bag in his arms. There was somebody standing in front of his door. He’d know that silhouette anywhere.

“’Sup?”  
Gladio greeted him with a playful salute.

“What a surprise to see you here”, Ignis greeted back with a nod, lifting his groceries so they didn’t slip out of his arms.  
“I do understand that it might need some time to seep in, but may I remind you that I changed my business hours? In case you were here for food, that is.”

“Whoah, what’s with that snappy attitude? Relax, I’m fully aware.”  
Gladio offered his arm to hold the groceries, which Ignis appreciated to be able to unlock the door.  
“But I thought, might as well check on you from time to time.”

“Check on me?”  
Ignis raised a brow at the big man.  
“I have no memory of having to be checked on.”

Gladio rolled his eyes.  
“Crap, Ignis. I just wanted to see if you’re alright. Talk to you for a moment as a friend. I’m not going to steal much of your time, promise.”

Ignis sighed and deflated in an instant.  
“Apologies, Gladio. Please come in.”

“It’s not like you being that snappy in one moment and then all resigned in the next. You’re a shadow of yourself”, Gladio shook his head and laid down the bag of groceries onto the counter, while Ignis was closing the door.

He was right. Ignis knew that he had been moody lately, but he just couldn’t help it. Whatever control he tried to take, somehow it ended up slipping away.  
“I know, Gladio”, Ignis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if it might realign his pieces again.  
“Let me at least offer you a hot beverage while you’re here. It’s quite cold outside.”

“Yeah, thanks.”  
Gladio sat down onto one of the stools.  
“So, what have you been up to?”

Ignis was stuffing away his groceries in the little storage room in the back. He could still take care of the things later. He only pulled out the berries so he could have the jam finished before opening up in the late afternoon.

“Oh, nothing really”, he answered as he joined Gladio in the bigger room again.  
“It has become quite calm after the banquet. I enjoy a little rest though. It has been quite stressful.”

“You looked more alive while you were at it though”, Gladio remarked.  
“Just saying.”

Ignis set up water to boil for their coffees and another pot for the jam before he took out two mugs from the shelf. They were wrapped into a thin veil of greyish dust. Just as they always were.  
He pulled out a cloth and started polishing.

On the other side of the counter, Gladio was fiddling with his thumbs.  
“So... Still nothing from Noct?”

Green eyes flickered over before they focused back on the mug.  
“Indeed.”

“Weird. I would have bet Highwind’s paperwork he’d write. That’s not like him. I mean, he didn’t even tell you when he left, did I get that right?”

It still stung a bit.  
Ignis only shook his head.

Gladio frowned.  
“There must have been something to it. Did you get into a fight or something? You were basically all over each other, talking a lot and stuff. It just feels off. My opinion on it.”

“No, we... we didn’t fight over anything.”  
Ignis tilted his head and it was his turn to frown.  
“But, to be fair, I barely spoke anything outside the necessary after... after we kissed in his room.”

“You _what_?”  
Gladio couldn’t believe his ears. His eyes were basically popping out of his head.  
“What the heck, _Ignis_? Are you really trying to tell me that you kissed and then stopped talking to each other?”

“It was nothing but a brief moment”, Ignis said flustered and pushed up his glasses.  
“And it was Noct who leaned in first. I think... Maybe I scared him when I, you know... when I returned the kiss. I think he was only playing a joke on me and...”  
He let out a frustrated sigh.  
“Alright, maybe I just shouldn’t have. It is improper and misplaced anyways but I cannot take it back anymore.”

The bulky man in front of him could only shake his head, still in shock about the revelation.  
“Damn, you two need to talk. I won’t say more than that, but you need to talk. And don’t give a shit about doing the ‘right’ thing, Ignis. For Heaven’s sake, forget about it only _once_.”

Ignis slowly shook his head.  
“It is already too late for this. I don’t know his whereabouts and besides, he is probably wed to Lady Lunafreya by now. Bringing up something like that would be an outright disaster. I already parted with that thought the morning I left.”

“Parted with what?”  
Gladio was glaring at him, eyes fierce and severe.  
“Sorry but I’ll say it as it is. You have not parted with any of this. And that’s why you’re behaving the way you do. You’re holding on to a memory.”

“Maybe you are right.” Ignis stilled in mid-motion.  
“I think...”

He paused a moment to put down the mug, a sad smile seeping through his facade.  
“I think I might have loved him, Gladio.”

“To think you were really _that_ dense”, Gladio sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.  
“Prompto and I knew. Honestly, looking at you at that gala night was enough. You should’ve seen yourself.”  
Ignis had nothing to counter. He knew how hard he had tried to make it a night to remember, collecting memories where ever he could because it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t last.

Their cup of coffee was a silent one, occasional clink of porcelain and the sound of a whisk scraping the bottom of the pot while stirring the jam the only background music.

As Gladio was about to leave, he slammed his hand onto Ignis’ upper arm, lips curled in pity for a friend whom he could offer no real help.  
“Don’t let it break you, Ignis”, he said firmly. “The Ignis I know would come up with a plan.”

Ignis smiled weakly, appreciating the well-meant words.  
“Thank you, Gladio.”  
He waited at the door until Gladio was no longer to be seen and the cold wind started to nip at his nose.

Normally Ignis would have sat down now and read, be it the newspaper or one of the new books he had only gotten himself recently. He would write letters to his uncle from time to time or think about new recipes he could try out when the time and the ingredients were right.  
But today, nothing of all this seemed appealing. The conversation with Gladio had made him realise what he had already been vaguely suspecting, not to mention that he had worded this thought for the very first time. Those past months, Noctis had found a way into his life and from there slowly but surely into his heart. Not that it mattered. Probably.

Restless and with a spinning mind, Ignis decided to go for a walk around the neighbourhood, just to clear out his thoughts. He set the pot to low temperature, so the jam could still simmer without burning while he was away.

 

The orphanage was preparing for their holiday festivities (a bazaar, no doubt, as every year) and the children were decorating the house with the help of Mrs. Elshett. Ignis waved in a greeting from afar. He didn’t really feel like talking right now.

A few blocks further, he briefly passed the Kellbass Park. Of course, there was hardly anything in bloom during winter. The red and yellow leaves in autumn and the white blossoms in May - those were the times when it was worth staying a little longer.  
Four years living in Insomnia and it already felt like a lifetime. Everything was familiar but still, some things would change, little by little, making every day an adventure. This was the life Ignis had wished for and the life he had somehow obtained. Far from owning the dream of his ideal café but he had come to think that the bar wasn’t actually that bad either. Everything had gone according to plan.

Most of it.

_Time to head back then._

It seemed that even the little stroll didn’t have that much of an effect on his working mind. He had been foolish to assume so. It would probably take a little more time, until the memories he had gathered were dry, just like you have to pin up photographs onto a string to let them dry before you look at them.  
He wondered how long it would take.

 

When Ignis turned into the street again where his bar was located, he frowned behind his framed lenses. There was somebody standing in front of his door. Shorter than him no doubt, but judging from his height a man nevertheless, maybe about Prompto’s height. The figure was wearing a brown-greyish down jacket, and a knitted cap in blue. It seemed like he was trying to peek through the little window in the door.

_What is it now?_

Ignis was warily approaching the stranger, who was now looking at his pocket watch.  
„Excuse me? Can I help you?“

”I guess?”, a familiar voice answered and as the young man turned around, Ignis immediately froze.  
It couldn’t be.

“Noct?”

“Hey”, Noctis answered, avoiding to make eye contact with Ignis and instead sheepishly looking down.

Ignis blinked fast and tried to process. Words, where were they when you needed them?

“But... how? You should be in Tenebrae.”

Noctis chuckled.  
“Yeah. I was. But it turned out the thing Luna had wanted to talk to me about wasn’t actually that much of a problem in the end.”

“What about your engagement?”

Noctis tapped the heel of his shoe against the ground.  
“There... is none? So... I finished the work on the project that had to be done on site and, yeah. Here I am.”  
He bit his lip.  
“Thought I come around. Smells like you have some of that jam in preparation but you weren’t there. So, I thought I could wait a bit? If I’m not bothering you.”

Ignis slowly shook his head. None of this could possibly be real. It just couldn’t.  
The flutter in his heart managed to shake off some of the stupor. Wary and amazed he started to step towards Noctis. 

“You’re back?”  
Ignis’ voice came out raspy and shaking. He was glad it didn’t break.

Noctis’ blue eyes finally locked with his, sending sparks through Ignis’ veins. He showed a wide grin, laced with fondness and relief as he nodded.

“I’m home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND IT'S DONE.  
> You are now free to yell at me how stupid the whole thing was, what you liked about it, the smut you missed, the feels you had, and if you liked it or not!
> 
> From my part first of all a huge, huge THANK YOU to all of you guys traveling with me this whole way. I really hope you enjoyed your time.  
> I had doubts I would ever finish the series because there was just so much stuff for this in my head, variations of the same setting and I wasn't even sure where I wanted to take the whole thing. In the end, this is what it turned out to be.
> 
> Prepare for a long author's note. You don't have to read it, it's just trivia but I thought I'd like to share~
> 
> * * *
> 
> Actually it all started with the idea of Ignis dancing with Luna and talking about Noctis. That was a scene I had in my head, no concrete wording or things to happen but just as a setting. And I wanted to explore that. I remember how I struggled with writing it in the end but somehow it turned out okay, even though the location I had in mind first started off a little smaller. (The scenery is in my head, I know, but it was smaller in the beginning, not that big of a hall x'D)  
> I also wanted to write something about the transition of Ignis' hairstyle, which I somehow was able too.
> 
> There is more stuff in the scrapbook here, so I'll just share that chaos for your personal entertainment.
> 
>  
> 
> Behind the scenes
> 
> \- Noctis’ shivering at the fountain in chapter 24 was because he almost had to laugh out loud at the clichee situation Ignis had maneuvered them into.
> 
> \- Ardyn in fact can’t taste the wine he’s drinking when talking to Ignis at the gala in chapter 24. He just enjoys the effect of alcohol on the body.
> 
> \- Talcott will probably join the police force too.
> 
>    
> Things that never came to pass
> 
> \- I have been thinking about background HighShield, Promptio, AraneaxPrompto (does this ship have a name??? Promnea?) and GenLuna, but dropped it in the end. It would literally have nothing to do with the main plot, so you’re totally free to imagine whatever you like.
> 
> \- Celebrating Prompto’s birthday in Ignis bar. Noctis would have gotten him a photographomat and Prompto would have ultimately ended up as Dino’s apprentice for photoshoots.
> 
> \- Gladio should have been the one to give Prompto the name of “Argentum”, after he arrested him on the market for stealing. He’d have to write down a protocol for the case and when Prompto told him that he didn’t have a family name, it would have happened. Prompto would have been in the retention cell until Ignis comes and get him out of there.
> 
> \- Ignis falling victim to symptoms of the shadow and Noctis tending to him (panic attacks from Ignis’ side and steadiness from Noctis’ and all the angst included); yes he’d have survived.
> 
> \- Ignis’ uncle passing away, leaving Ignis with Noctis as his “only family”. Too much drama and no real plot though, so I scrapped it.
> 
> \- Ignis actually working as barista in the upper ring, therefore fulfilling his dream in the end.
> 
> \- Iris turning up at the banquet with the mistress she is serving.
> 
> \- Cor as police veteran with an injured leg (and trainer of the new recruits, ergo Prompto) being asked for a dance at the banquet and politely declining the offer. Prompto fanboying over him and his epicness.
> 
> \- Ardyn’s whole backgroundstory; he was supposed to be the heir to the company, as older brother to Regis but he lost his ability of scent in his mid-20ies, leading Lucis to ruins until Regis picked up his work. Ardyn told nobody about his disability but cultivated a grudge towards his father and his brother. I was planning a whole arc of revenge action with crime and deception, in which Ardyn tries to produce perfume by only using chemical techniques instead of natural ingredients, because those can be calculated then. With this he wanted to undermine his brother’s business. Ardyn was also supposed to consult Ravus for a potential healing method of his disability. Eventually he would have taken the step and try to abduct Noctis in order to torment Regis. The rescue would have involved an explosion in one of Ardyn’s secret laboratories, in which Ignis might or might not have lost the sight of one eye as he protects Noctis. (This is a short version)  
> A total turn of events. I had the Galahdian Kingsglaive three working for him initially, but then Lunyx happened and it was not possible any more.
> 
> \- The big assault (of whatever form) on the banquet and its guests. All planned out by Ardyn in order to ruin the reputation of Lucis Scents.
> 
> You see, a lot of stuff going on, melted down to what you have read just now.  
> Again: thank you so much for spending your time on this self indulgent work of mine and all of your nice words along the way. I wouldn't have made it without <3


End file.
